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Bobi Wine interrogated in Dubai before cancellation of his charity concert


Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyaluganyi aka Bobi Wine has recounted how he was interrogated by authorities in Dubai for more than 8 hours before being let go.

Bobi Wine is in Dubai to perform at a charity concert whose proceedings will go into assisting Ugandan immigrant workers who are stranded in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and other middle eastern countries.

“Landed in Dubai at 8:30pm. It’s now 5am. I’ve been held and interrogated for 8hrs. They asked me about NUP, it’s leaders, their phone numbers, my family members & their contacts! I have all necessary travel docs. They’ve confiscated my passport & my phone. Am literary under arrest,” he tweeted.

Later on, he said his travel documents and phone had been handed back to him but he was still being detained. In his latest post, the musician-turned-politician said the the concert has been cancelled.

Also read: Exclusive: Stella Nyanzi reveals when she will go back to Uganda

“Unfortunately our Charity Concert in Dubai has been cancelled! The venue owner has been instructed to cancel. The information available shows Ugandan authorities have been working tooth and nail to ensure it doesn’t happen! The first attempt was to deny me entry, and now this!” he tweeted.

Bobi Wine was scheduled to perform at the concert at Abu Hail Club Stadium in Dubai on Saturday. Thereafter, he had another event to attend in Abu Dhabi at Villagio Hotel and Resort.

Also read: Ugandan activist Stella Nyanzi ‘conned’ in Nairobi

In the recent past, the vocal politician has been decrying a spike in abductions in Uganda, while pointing an accusing finger at President Yoweri Museveni. Using the hashtag #BringBackOurPeople, Bobi Wine has consistently shared harrowing experiences of abduction of Ugandan people.

In one incident, a Pakistani national was abducted in broad daylight by persons believed to be acting on state orders. The foreigner, who was later freed, reportedly lost a huge sum of money to his abductors.

A few days later, Remmy Bahati, a Ugandan-USA journalist said her family members had been abducted. In an interview with NTV, Bahati said she believes that the abduction was as a result of an article she had written criticizing the Ugandan government that later drew the attention of US President Joe Biden.

“When I did that interview, I was told by the government to delete it off my social media platforms before it went viral and I knew that was a decision for me to make and I did not do that,” she says.