Bobi Wine engages in an intense standoff with police over Kyarenga concert Monday, April 22, 2019. (PHOTO/FILE)
KAMPALA – Justice Herrieta Woloyo of the High Court has Friday, May 10, declined to stop police from blocking and interfering with Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu aka Bobi wine’s music shows.
Bobi Wine had dragged the government to court, together with former Kampala Metropolitan Police commander Frank Mwesigwa after the cancellation of concerts he had organized weeks after taking oath as a member of parliament in July last year.
The concerts had been organized in parts of Kampala, Mukono, Kasese, Kiryandongo and Kamuli.
Justice Wolayo ruled that Bobi wine had failed to demonstrate in his evidence how the banned music shows violated his rights to work, freedom of assembly, association and speech among other freedoms.
The judge noted that Bobwine had a duty to prove to the court how police and the Attorney General violated his rights, something that he and his lawyers could not do to the satisfaction of the court in their written submissions.
However in his October 2017 petition, Bobi Wine contended that he has lived all his adult life earning a living through live music performances until on October 8, 2017 when police banned his shows while fronting security concerns something the MP claims is in blatant violation of his right to work and freedoms to speech, liberty and movement.
Through renowned Human rights lawyer Ladislous Rwakafuuzi, Bobi Wine averred that he had then lost Shs300 million shillings for his cancelled shows at Colline Hotel Mukono, Kamuli, Busoga and in Kasese district where he had been invited and paid Shs20 million by his fellow legislator Jackson Mbaju to perform in Busongora South County.
The banned shows we’re supposed to take place between 12th/ and 21st /October 2017 respectively.
According to court documents, the claimed 300 million shillings arose out of partial payments music promoters had advanced to Bobi Wine and numerous advertisements inform of banners and posters that were plucked down by policemen and crime preventers.
Bobi Wine then sought prohibition orders against the Attorney General and the then Kampala Metropolitan police commander Frank Mesigwa whom he accused of threatening to end his music career by interfering in his stage performances.
Bobi Wine pleaded to the court to intervene in his situation else his livelihood and that of his family hanged in jeopardy.
However, since then Bobi Wine has had more than 100 organised music shows cancelled by police with the recent one being an Easter Monday show at his one Love Beach at Busabaala.
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