Bobi Wine withdraws case against Ugandan government

The case was filed with the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) in December 2018, with the musician complaining that security agencies blocked more than 20 of his concerts, confiscated his music equipment and denied several people their right to earn a living due to his political affiliation.

Bobi Wine, who served as an MP between 2017 and 2021 and ran for president in the 2021 elections, has been at loggerheads with President Yoweri Museveni’s administration since his entry into politics.

During a hearing session on 20 May, Bobi Wine accused UHRC chairperson Mariam Wangadya of lacking impartiality, labelling the hearing a mockery. He then withdrew the case, saying the hearing was intended to “sanitise the criminality and disregard of the law and that the commission’s actions had severely undermined their confidence in its ability to deliver justice.”

“How can a complaint regarding human rights violations take more than five years to be heard?” Bobi Wine said during a heated exchange with Wangadya. “Madam chairperson, what kind of commission are you presiding over? Over time, many other atrocities and grave human rights violations have been meted out on many supporters of the political party I lead, the National Unity Platform.

“These have included arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, detentions without trial, torture, rape, trials of civilians in military courts on trumped-up charges, and enforced disappearances. Today, some of our supporters, who were abducted by security, are still missing and unaccounted for. Some of these complaints have reached this commission, but the security agencies have continued to commit these crimes against our people with impunity.”

In her response, Wangadya said Bobi Wine’s remarks were misleading, misplaced and regrettable. “It is our position that we have at all times received, investigated and condemned all forms of human rights violations whenever they occur, and we continue to do so,” she said. “Through our Human Rights Tribunal and other mechanisms, we have consistently taken action to address every reported human rights complaint, and Hon Kyagulanyi [Bobi Wine] himself has previously filed complaints with us whose hearings are currently underway. In fact, one of his complaints is coming up this month for the second time [after] the first hearing was aborted due to his own unavailability.”

The hearing was a result of police action taken by Frank Mwesigwa, the former Kampala Metropolitan Police commander who is currently the assistant inspector-general of police in charge of operations. Mwesigwa cancelled the concerts in November 2018, supposedly to prevent Bobi Wine from inciting violence. Additionally, Mwesigwa has accused Kyagulanyi of failing to distinguish between his artistic persona and that of politician and legislator.

Considered a thorn in the side of the Ugandan ruling establishment, Bobi Wine has been arrested, detained multiple times and subjected to physical assault for criticising Museveni’s regime.

A biopic titled Bobi Wine: The People’s President, highlighting his political struggles, was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards.