In a widely shared video posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday last week, Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine alleged that the government sent criminals into his People Power movement to create chaos so as to justify the notion that his supporters are violent.
Kyagulanyi who has just returned to the country today from the USA where he has been receiving treatment following his violent arrest and alleged torture by government security organs added that the government had received several red t-shirts with the word ‘People Power’ to easily disguise their recruits into his organisation.
While appearing on NBS TV political show – Frontline, government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said he had People Power t-shirts in his vehicle. Opondo noted that he had impounded them from rowdy youth who we threatening chaos when the singing politician returned to the country.
He, however, didn’t say in what capacity he had impounded the t-shirts since he is not the police – the only body charged with keeping exhibits.
Earlier on, People Power sources had alleged that on Wednesday night in Bwebajja, on the outskirts of Kampala, government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa met with a delegation of unidentified youths travelling by a white Toyota double cabin pickup (Reg No. UAZ 264X) belonging to a certain security company and reportedly given them red t-shirts, red ribbons, and Shs200, 000 each.
In turn, the youths were to join a procession welcoming the legislator from Entebbe Airport and wreck havoc which would then give the police cause to arrest Bobi Wine.
When we asked the Kiboga Woman MP about the allegations, Nankabirwa said she is not
aware of any such developments and was not in the said location at that time.
“I am a married woman. I cannot be out of home at that time unless it is official business. And if it official business, I conduct it at my office not at a hotel and certainly not at my home,” she told Matooke Republic.
We also reached out to Information, Communications and National Guidance Minister, Frank Tumwebaze to respond to allegations by Bobi Wine that the National Resistance Government (NRM) had infiltrated criminal elements into People Power – a new political movement that has gained momentum as a potential opposition force, he simply said that the government does not work that way.
“The NRM government is busy creating employment, building roads and does not have neither the time nor resources to invest in fighting Bobi Wine. You saw what his supporters did at the late Kirumira’s funeral when a minister was chased or what happened to Bebe Cool. You don’t throw stones at me because you disagree with me,” Tumwebaze said.
Tumwebaze advised Bobi Wine to practice mature politics based on issues since he is in Parliament and appeal to his supporters to refrain from violence saying it is the cause of unnecessary deaths and disrupts the business of other innocent, yet hardworking Ugandans.
“This is a school fees period. Someone is working to make ends meet and you selfishly want to lead a procession to further your own ends. How is that leadership?”
Peaceful but assertive
However, Bobi Wine says he has always appealed to his fans to remain peaceful but assertive. This, he says, means that they remain committed to a common goal and speaking the same voice but going about that goal in a peaceful manner.
The problem, he says, is that the government has become so agile that it shoots at every slight provocation.
“I know President Museveni and his lieutenants have been trying so hard to portray as a violent group. This is because they want to respond to us with violence. They plant many people, many criminals among us to throw stones so that they can respond to us with bullets,” Bobi Wine said.
Anti-Bobi Wine campaign?
The team headed by Awel Uwihanganye, the Co-Founder of Young Achievers Awards and team leader at African Strategic Leadership Centre – a new think-tank was tasked to use social media to counter Bobi Wine’s messages.
However, most of the individuals listed have denied knowledge of the same. In his response, Uwihanganye said that it was disgraceful for one to doctor documents of such nature just to discredit his efforts in building the country.
“For one to use privileged information to doctor documents and falsely associate different individuals with my appointment with the view of undermining the effort is wrong and disgraceful,” he said.
Some of the other prominent names on the list are Duncan Abigaba, the manager of the Government Citizen Interaction Centre, journalists Ivan Rugambwa, Nelly Bwire Kapo among others.
They have all denied knowledge of the said list. Bobi Wine has since cautioned the criminals from disrupting People Power saying they will be dealt with accordingly.
“We know how to deal with criminals. When you see them in our activities, I know you will deal with them accordingly” Bobi Wine told his supporters on Facebook.
With him back in the country vowing to continue from where he left off, it is clear that the political ping-pong between the “ghetto president” and government is just getting started.