Bobi Wine House Arrest: Court To Rule On Monday

Posted by: Eninu William in Uganda news January 21, 2021

The High Court in Kampala is set to rule on Bobi Wine House arrest case on Monday next week. The court will decid whether former presidential aspirant Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and his wife Barbra Itungo are in illegal detention at their home.

This comes after Justice Micheal Elubu heard Kyagulanyi’s lawyers who contend that the UPDF and police have placed their client and his wife under illegal detention since the election day on 14th December 2021.

The Attorney General, Chief of Defense Forces and the Inspector General of Police are represented by Martin Mwambustya.

The 3 respondents have based on the police Director of operations Edward Ochom and UPDF’s legal director Gordon Busingye’s affidavits. They maintain that Kyagulanyi is in neither of the 2 security forces’ custody. However, they have instead restrained his movements.

Ochom says during campaigns, Kyagulanyi held rallies in ungazetted places. He says Bobi Wine also held processions and had many people killed on his trail. He adds that Bobi also never followed Ministry of Health guidelines on COVID-19 management.

Apparently there is also credible intelligence linking Kyagulanyi to organised riots by youths. This is why they are restricting his movements at home.

Mwambustya further asked the court that in case it wants to free Kyagulanyi from his home, stringent terms such as denouncing his planned processions with the youths and following COVID-19 guidelines should be imposed.

As for his wife Itungo, the state says that she is misconceiving the entire situation as neither her nor any other family member of Kyagulanyi is placed under house arrest.

What Bobi Wine’s lawyers say

However Kyagulanyi’s lawyers led by Medard Ssegona want Ochom’s evidence struck out of court record. They say Ocom did not date or even sign his evidence. Ssegona also says this offends the rules of procedure .

Bobi’s lawyer further contends that Ochom has not produced any evidence linking Kyagulanyi to the arrested protesting youths to warrant placing him under security surveillance.

Immediately after today’s court session, Kyagulanyi’s lawyers have proceeded to his home. They want to see if state authorities can allow them access their client. They say security has held Bobi Wine incommunicado with no access to visitors for a week now.

A few days ago, a human rights lawyer and activist from Nigerian, Femi Falana, filed a complaint at the United Nations (UN) against the government of Uganda over the detention of Robert Kyagulanyi.

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