Uganda Law Society condemns government for blocking Bobi Wine concerts

Uganda Law

Society has blasted government for its continued violation of human rights

through blocking of music shows for Kyadondo East MP and musician Robert

Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine.

Police has

over the past months blocked Bobi Wine from organizing concerts and attending

others and the latest was the one on boxing -day at his One Love beach in

Busaabala, Wakiso district.

In a statement

, the lawyers’ body through its president Simon Peter Kinobe has said they are

concerned over the manner in which security agencies working on behalf of government

have frustrated the legislator’s efforts to organize concerts that would enable

him earn a living as a musician.

“Article 40

of the Constitution provides every Ugandan with a right to practice one’s

profession and trade. The act of denying one the right to participate his trade

is therefore not only unlawful but also unconstitutional,”Kinobe said in a

statement.

On

Wednesday, police gave a go-ahead to singer Moses Ssali also known as Bebe Cool

to host his ‘Mutima gwa zaabbu’ concert at Kiwatule on boxing –day whereas the

one for Bobi Wine also organized on the same day was blocked.

Many have

since blamed government for double standards that saw them allow a concert

similar to one that had been blocked, the latter belonging to Bobi Wine.

Uganda Law

Society president urged that the constitution provides for equality before the

law of all persons.

“All persons

equal before the law in all spheres of economic, political, social and cultural

life and in every other aspect and shall enjoy equal protection of the law. Therefore,

any powers conferred upon police in exercise of its functions should be done

without discriminatory conduct,” the Uganda Law Society president said.

They say

they will continue monitoring the situation and will not hesitate to undertake any

appropriate avenues and legal redress to enforce citizen’s rights to enjoy

liberties as enshrined in the constitution.

Bobi Wine this week

said police had not explained to him why his concerts had been blocked despite

writing to them early enough before December informing them of the same and

also sought for clearance.

“We wrote to police long ago

and complied with all legal requirements. As they have been doing recently,

they did not respond to us at all, until last night when they showed up to

disrupt the event,”Kyagulanyi posted on his social media accounts on Wednesday.

Police spokesperson

Emilian Kayima on Wednesday morning said the concert at Busaabala had been

cancelled because the organisers had not adhered to police guidelines.

 “If we must play by the rules of engagement, why not him? The last time he had such, he had over 30,000 people. And we all know when you are going to gather all those people, are you sure that they are going to be secure? We put these guidelines not out of the blue. We want them to abide by these,”Kayima said on Wednesday.

Police has in the past blocked a number of concerts either organised by Bobi Wine or where he was supposed to perform but have not clearly explained the reasons behind the blockade.