President Museveni has for the first time broken the silence about the blocked concerts for Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
A number of Bobi Wine’s concerts have in the past two years been canceled by security and the latest was one that was scheduled to take place at One Love Beach in Busaabala on Independence Day.
Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, Museveni said the legislator cum singer is an enemy of progress who cannot be allowed to enjoy Uganda’s prosperity.
Bobi Wine went to USA and said investors should not come to invest in Uganda. That means he is an enemy of progress in Uganda. I was in opposition myself in 1960s member of DP and could not say don’t build Masaka-Kabale road because I was not in government. The road is not for government but people,”Museveni said during the short interview at the Entebbe State House.
Following the Arua municipality fracas in which he was arrested and later brutally assaulted by security, Bobi Wine asked the US to end military aid to Uganda.
“It’s important, especially to the US taxpayers, to know that much of the military aid we get is actually used to oppress and brutalise the citizens of Uganda. The gun that killed my driver that could have probably killed me is an American gun,”Bobi Wine said in an interview he had with Al Jazeera while in the US in September 2018.
If effected, the move would mean, the $800m support that the Ugandan government receives in form of military support would be cut off.
However, according to Museveni, it was wrong for the singer to ask the US government to cut off funding yet he is one of those who benefit from the aid.
The President said it would be ridiculous for someone who asked that the aid is stopped to turn around wanting to enjoy the country’s prosperity.
“If you are waging a war on our country by telling foreigners not to invest in our country, you are waging war on our prosperity. Why do you at the same time want to take advantage of that prosperity?”Museveni wondered.
He was however quick to put a disclaimer saying he is not sure of the reasons behind the cancellation of the concerts.
“I am not sure but I will speak to the police to tell me.”
Over 100 music concerts for the legislator cum singer have been cancelled since he joined politics as Kyadondo East Member of Parliament in May 2017.
Bobi Wine insists he is being targeted by police by blocking his concerts.
“Police has always claimed we don’t fulfil requirements but we write to them and notify them…they are telling lies,”Bobi Wine said recently.
While answering questions from MPs over Bobi Wine’s banned concerts in December last year, Internal Affairs minister, Gen. Jeje Odongo said police continually bans the singer’s concerts because he uses them for political capital.
