Uganda: Pop star MP Bobi Wine charged with treason

By Halima Athumani

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – Shortly after being released by a military court on Thursday, the Ugandan MP and pop star known as Bobi Wine was re-arrested and charged with treason.

After being released by an army court martial in the northern district of Gulu, Robert Kyagulanyi — Wine's given name — was whisked to a civil court where faces treason charges along with 33 others, including Kassiano Wadri, who won last week’s by-election in the northern Arua municipality.

In a tweet, Nicholas Opiyo, one of Wine’s lawyers, said: “The charade, pretense and wanton abuse of Bobi’s rights by the army has ended.”

He added: “Now we can embark on a civilian court to get justice. #FreeBobiwine.”

Kyagulanyi has been under military custody since Aug. 14 for allegedly leading a group of people to pelt Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy with stones ahead of the by-election. Wine’s driver Yasin Kawuma was shot dead in the melee, with score of others surviving bullet wounds.

Speaking on the incident, Museveni said, “We went to the bush to fight for the right to make political decisions by Ugandans without intimidation by word or action. Anybody who threatens this will have himself to blame.”

On Monday, Wine’s supporters took to the streets around the country leading to several arrests and injuries — including reporters — reportedly at the hands of the police.

Kyagulanyi and his co-accused are due to return to court on Aug. 30.

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