Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi popularly known as Bobi Wine last Wednesday appeared on VOA’s Straight Talk Africa program with Shaka Ssali in which he alleged he had been tortured.
Bobi Wine appeared on VOA with Uganda’s Ambassador to the United States, Mull Sebujja Katende
The musician-turned-politician confronted Uganda’s ambassador to the United States about his recent arrest and alleged torture while in detention in Gulu.
Many Ugandans did not get to see the interview because of a power outage across major areas in the country.
Arrest
On Aug. 14, Wine was accused of attacking the convoy of President Yoweri Museveni during clashes between opposition supporters and supporters of the government at the close of the Arua Municipality by-elections.
Bobi Wine says police fatally shot his driver, Yasin Kawuma, that day, mistaking him for Wine.
The next day, Wine and 33 others were arrested, “including four members of parliament. They were later to be charged with treason.
Torture
Bobi Wine says he and the other detainees were brutally beaten, and that some sustained permanent injuries or are still in the hospital. He was later released and permitted to travel to the U.S. for medical treatment.
Asked by VOA’s Shaka Ssali whether he believed Wine had been tortured, Katende said, “Uganda does not condone torture.” He also said there is no crisis in Uganda, only isolated incidents of criminality. He added, “Uganda remains committed to the tenets of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.”
Bobi Wine responded, “The criminality is not being carried out by Ugandan citizens. it is actually being carried out by the armed forces.If that’s not criminality, I wonder what it is.”
Bobi Wine said the men who beat him belonged to a section of the Ugandan military charged with guarding the president.
“I was beaten, kept in handcuffs, a lot of despicable things were done to me. But I’m here, and I’m still alive,” he said.
Umeme falters
While the interview was live-streaming, Umeme tweeted that power had gone out “in most areas” because of a system failure.
Some Ugandans tweeted back to accuse the company of causing the power failure to deny them access to the VOA program.
“Seems they don’t want us watch Bobi Wine on tv,” one person tweeted.
