Bobi Wine detention: LoP wants MPs to boycott sittings

Bobi Wine (2nd L) talks to Ms Ochan (2nd R), the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, and other MPs who visited him at his home in Magere, Wakiso District.

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Ms Betty Aol Ochan says she intends to rally all Members of Parliament to boycott Parliament following the continued detention of Kyadondo East MP, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.

Ms Ochan on Wednesday visited Bobi Wine at his home in Magere, Wakiso District.

The military placed Bobi Wine under house arrest on Monday as he attempted to go to police headquarters at Naguru, to petition the Inspector General of Police why the force has continued to block his music shows.

On Monday police brutally arrested the musician cum politician in Busabala Wakiso District, where he had gone for the Kyalenga Extra Easter Monday music concert. The concert had been cancelled by police.

While responding to a matter of national concern that was raised by Mukono Municipality MP, Ms Betty Nambooze, regarding the arrest, the Deputy Speaker Mr Jacob Oulanyah said Parliament cannot pronounce itself on the issue since Bobi Wine had committed crimes outside Parliament and therefore, the privileges and immunities of Parliament could protect him.   

However, Ms Ochan says that one of the mandates of the speaker is to protect MPs from harassment. She argues that if Bobi Wine broke any law, he should be charged in court.

Ms Ochan says that if police and the military fail to withdraw from Bobi Wine’s home by Thursday afternoon, she will rally all MPs regardless of their political affiliations, to boycott parliamentary  business.

Rukungiri Municipality MP, Mr Roland Mugume Kaginda who was in the company of Ms Ochan said that it is primitive for srcurity forces to block Bobi Wine from accessing his personal businesses to earn a living  and Parliament to legislate for his constituents.

Bobi Wine said that no amount of persecution will compel him to give up on the struggle.

Meanwhile, Police on Wednesday arrested five people who were allegedly planning to walk to Police Headquarters in Naguru, to express their dissatisfaction over the continued house arrest of Bobi Wine.

Mr Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman, identified the suspects as Edward Ntale, Abbas Mpanga, Hajji Kigozi, Owen Ahimbisibwe and Godfrey Katongole.

"Since yesterday, these people were mobilising to walk to Police Headquarters and we arrested them," Mr Onyango said.

Police said the suspects who are detained at Kampala Central Police Station are likely to be charged with inciting violence and unlawful assembly.

"Edward Katongole will be taken to court before the day [Wednesday] ends because he already has a pending criminal case in court. We have been looking for him and we got him today," Mr Onyango said.

Earlier, a combined force of police and the army quelled protests in Kamwokya, a suburb of  Kampala city,  where a group of youth burnt tyres in the middle of the road, demanding the withdrawal of soldiers and police officers from Bobi Wine’s home.

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US speaks out on Besigye, Bobi Wine fate

However, Mr Okello Oryem, the minister in charge of International Cooperation said the US embassy has no mandate to lecture Uganda on human rights