Uganda Law Society condemns government for blocking Bobi Wine concerts
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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.