Media outlets particularly Television stations in the country have received a notice warning them against broadcasting live pictures of Bobi Wine’s return on Thursday.
By Press time, the singer-cum politician had reached Amsterdam city in Netherlands enroute Entebbe airport.
He is expected to reach Uganda on Thursday morning from where a surging sea of his supporters will pick him and escort him to his residence in Magere, Kyadondo constituency.
But earlier in the day police top officials led by publicist Emilian Kayima warned the public from engaging in tomorrow’s procession saying only a few family members will be allowed to welcome Bobi Wine.
Kayima added that police will then provide security to accompany the pop star to his Magere mansion.
In relation to Bobi Wine’s homecoming, television stationed have been directed to halt the live broadcast of this political activity.
Whereas no security agency had claimed source of this directive, it appears all the stations in the country have received the notice and are bound to comply or risk tough ramifications.
However, the move to block the media from covering live tomorrow’s event is perceived as an infringement on the media rights and freedom.
It is not so long when a couple of journalists were attacked, clobbered and detained by military operatives while covering a spate of bloody riots erupting in Kampala and nearby districts over arrest and subsequent torture of MPs- Bobi Wine and Francis Zaake.
Further, halting live coverage will be a deliberate move to curtail citizens access to information.
According to a survey by Twaweza, television is the second source of obtaining information by Ugandans.
The report indicates that 28% of Ugandans watch TV, 69% listen to radio while 12% gain information from reading newspapers.
Bobi Sneers
Meanwhile Bobi Wine was quick to respond to police’s orders insisting that the security agency has no right to determine who welcomes him tomorrow.
Using his twitter account, Bobi Wine issued a brief statement.
I am a free Ugandan with the right to move freely in my country. The police has no business telling me who receives me and who cannot or where I go and where I cannot. This impunity must stop now.
Wama see you friends tomorrow.
I will be received by friends, colleague leaders & artistes. I will then go and see my sick grandmother briefly at Najjanankumbi from where I will head to Kamwokya for lunch with my family (brothers & sisters) before I go to my home in Magere….
While in the waiting lounge here in Amsterdam, I just saw the police spokesman Emilian Kayima & other senior police officers announcing that they will only allow my immediate family members to receive me from Entebbe Airport. They also said they will escort me to my home..