Ugandan musician and opposition lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, has been arrested and remanded to maximum-security prison after being charged over his alleged role in a street protest last year against a tax on social media.
Bobi Wine has built a large youth following through his criticism of Uganda’s long-time leader President Yoweri Museveni – who has been in power for 32 years – both in parliament and through his music.
”I’m only here because I disagree with the political leadership of this country…I’m here for protesting against unfair taxation and against injustice. If I’m to go through this oppression and pain for the betterment of my country so be it.”— @HEBobiwine #Uganda #FreeBobiWine 🇺🇬 pic.twitter.com/NqkQGyjrw0— Daughter of Apio 🇺🇬 (@araoameny) April 29, 2019
Police spokesman Fred Enanga said Kyagulanyi led the protest in Kampala in July 2018 without prior police authorisation.
“He is with the police and investigations are on,” he told AFP news agency.
Asuman Basalirwa, one of Kyagulanyi’s lawyers, said his client was arrested after he answered a summons to the Criminal Investigations Directorate.
Wine, 37, appeared in a magistrate’s court on Monday wearing his trademark red beret, the symbol of his movement against the long rule of President Yoweri Museveni who has been in power since 1986. Wine will return to court on 2 May, the earliest he can be freed on bail.
As Wine boarded a prison service van, his supporters chanted the slogan he has recently popularised: “People power!”
Robert Amsterdam, one of Wine’s attorneys, urged Ugandan authorities to “act immediately to release [Wine] and drop these fabricated charges”.
The popular singer has emerged as a powerful opponent to Museveni. Wine is urging Uganda’s youth to take over leadership of this east African country and has hinted he may run for the presidency in 2021.
He has had several rough encounters with the security forces, including being detained briefly inside his own home on the outskirts of Kampala last week by police who said they wanted to protect public order.