The High Court has ordered for the immediate restoration of former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s personal freedom.
The patron of people Power movement, a political pressure group in Uganda has been under house arrest since January 14th 2021 when he returned home from freedom square polling station where he cast his vote. Since then security was beefed up round Bobi’s home not allowing any one in or out of the gate.
According to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) Justice Simon Byabakama, the singer lost the election to the incumbent Yoweri Museveni who got 58.64% of the total vote as his closest opponent Bobi Wine won 34.83% of it.
And in tandem, the singer, through his lawyers led by Medard Sseggona, petitioned the court challenging the government’s decision to detain their client at unlawful custody.
In his ruling, Justice Michael Elubu ordered that all security personnel surrounding Kyagulanyi’s home at Magere in Wakiso district must vacate immediately.
“If the state has sufficient evidence that Kyagulanyi committed any offences and that he is a danger to society, due process should be followed to formally arrest him and detain him in a gazetted centre where he can be taken to court and charged,” he ruled.
The judge also ordered the restoration of Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi’s rights be immediately restored and that the state should pay her and her husband the costs they spent to file the application. Kyagulanyi has been held in his home since 14th January 2021.
“The continued indefinite restriction and confinement of Bobi Wine is unlawful and his right to liberty has been infringed and orders that he be released and security personnel vacate his premises with immediate effect,” he ruled.
Bobi was ordered to observe Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) peddled at curbing the spread of Covid-19.
