Bobi Wine Outsmarts Ugandan Police Officers, Evades House Arrest

Ugandan MP-cum-superstar, Bobi Wine appears to always be a step ahead of the Ugandan government and security forces.

Last week, we reported that the Ugandan police under the directive of President Yoweri Museveni cancelled a music show organized by Bobi Wine and subsequently arrested the Afro-pop star and MP while he was billed to address the press on the cancelled show.

In defense, the government has said that the MP was mixing politics with music – something the president said his administration will not condone.

President Yoweri Museveni and Bobi Wine has been on each other’s throat for a long while, with the latter accusing the president of staying too long in power against the wish of the people.

After the arrest of Bobi Wine last week, he was placed under house arrest, but the security forces deployed to keep the Ugandan lawmaker and Afro-pop star in the confine of his home was outsmarted when Bobi Wine evaded them yesterday to attend a funeral ceremony.

The police on Tuesday confirmed that Bobi Wine had been placed under preventive house arrest. He had briefly been detained early this week by police before he was escorted to his residence and placed under arrest.

Bobi Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi, managed to leave home to attend the funeral of a prominent politician in the town of Busoga in eastern Uganda.

Addressing the crowd at the funeral, he explained why he had to escape the ‘prison’ his house had become, clarifying that he remained a law-abiding citizen despite being forced to escape prison.

“I had to come because Busoga is my home. I sneaked out of my home which is now a prison. But I do not support escaping from prison. I am a law-abiding citizen. I got out because it was a violation of the law and against my rights,” he said to cheers.

Bobi Wine has increasingly become popular among people both within and outside Uganda – something that has not gone on well with the president.

Only time will reveal the end to the face-off between Bobi Wine and President Yoweri Museveni, but Bobi Wine doesn't look like someone who is ready to give up any time soon.

Header Image Credit: Aljazeera