Ugandan musician and Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine has come out to address allegations that he recently had a secret meeting with President Yoweri Museveni.
For starters, Bobi Wine was on Friday afternoon arrested upon his arrival at Entebbe Airport and detained at Entebbe Police Station. He was returning from New York, where he attended the Global Citizens Week and later the Global Goal Keepers conference organized by American investor and philanthropist Bill Gates and his wife Melinda.
According to Police, Bobi Wine wanted to lead a procession from Entebbe Airport to his home in Gayaza, something they said would disrupt traffic along Entebbe Road.
However while in detention, the singer was also quizzed about his viral audio in which he attacked President Museveni and NRM Members of Parliament for passing a motion to table a Private Members Bill to amend Article 102 (b) of the constitution to allow the President to lead Uganda beyond 75 years of age.
He was released later on Friday evening.
Meeting with President Museveni
While Bobi Wine was being held Entebbe Police Station, photos of him getting out of a car at night and getting salutes from a UPDF soldier, started making rounds on Social Media with some persons claiming that the singer had gone to meet President Museveni at his farm in Kisozi.
It is said that some politicians that publicly oppose President Museveni’s regime, later meet him secretly at State House and other locations and ask him for favors.
However Bobi Wine in a lengthy Post via Facebook, denied the allegations and clarified that the photos were taken backstage at a recent show in Budaka, Eastern Uganda. He also shared more photos from the same event, showing other Ugandan musicians including his brother Mikie Wine, Geoffrey Lutaaya and Irene Namatovu among others that were present.
“Some regime propagandists have been paid a lot of money to spread lies about me yet some of them actually pretend to be comrades in the struggle. They say that I met President Museveni privately at his farm in Kisozi (which is a big lie) and they’re using these pictures,” Bobi Wine wrote on Facebook
“These pictures were taken back stage in #Budaka last Saturday 16th September when I was having a show and as you can see we were with fellow artists Geoffrey Lutaaya, Irene Namatovu, Mikie Wine and many others, so shame on you liars,” he added.
He singer also defended the part where a UPDF soldier was pictured saluting him, saying; “You may wonder why the soldiers were saluting me all the time. You should know that Article 208 (2) of the constitution says that the UPDF shall be subordinate to civilian authority. Therefore these gallant soldiers were not wrong to guard and salute their leader”.
He also noted that he has no problem meeting President Museveni “for as long as the meeting is public and we are discussing his dignified retirement and a peaceful transition of power”.
“I can never sell out and i can never be compromised,” Bobi Wine avowed.
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