Ugandan Afrobeats musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine has been severely beaten by the security forces and is unable to walk or talk, his lawyers say.
The opposition MP has appeared at a military court in the northern town of Gulu, where he was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of firearms and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition, but not treason as had previously been reported.
He was arrested after a vehicle in President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy was attacked on Monday in the town of Arua, ahead of Wednesday’s fiercely contested by-election.
Wine’s driver was later shot dead, in what the MP says was an attempt to kill him.
His ally Kassiano Wadri, who won the Arua poll, was earlier charged with treason, along with 31 others.
The authorities have not responded to the allegation that Wine was assaulted in custody.
The 36-year-old has long been an outspoken critic of Uganda’s government.
“When our leaders have become misleaders and mentors have become tormentors. When freedom of expression becomes the target of oppression, opposition becomes our position.”
The lyrics are from a song titled Situka, which means “Rise up” in Luganda, sung by Wine ahead of the 2016 general elections.
The Afrobeats artist was using the song to exhort Ugandans to play an active role in fighting corruption and injustice in their country.
At the time many of the country’s famous musicians backed President Yoweri Museveni’s re-election but Wine however refused to hop on the bandwagon.
It was then that some suspected that Wine wanted to play an active role in politics.
Who is Bobi Wine?
The Afrobeats star, who began his music career in the early 2000s, has always described his craft as “edutainment” – entertainment that educates. One of his earliest hits, Kadingo, is a song about personal hygiene.
Wine, whose official name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, was elected to parliament as an independent in a by-election last year in Kyadondo East, central Uganda.
He beat candidates from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the main opposition Democratic Change (FDC).
The self-declared “ghetto president” told the BBC after his win that he represented a new generation: “I am going to stand up for issues. I’m here to give young people confidence,” he said.
The moniker came about after he continued recording music, despite his fame, in his poor neighbourhood in Kamwokya, in central Kampala where he grew up, the BBC’s Patience Atuhaire says.
Source: BBC Africa
