Security agencies of police and Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) have sealed off the former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s home ahead of the Presidential swearing in ceremony.
President-elect Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who has been in power since 1986, will officially be sworn in tomorrow, May 12, 2021 at Kololo Independence Grounds Under the theme; ‘Shaping Uganda’s Destiny, Our Sole Collective Effort’. The former bush war fighter will be sworn in for a sixth term.
According to Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso the spokesperson of the UPDF, the intelligence units have information showing that Kyagulanyi is planning to illegally swear in self and cause chaos in the city to disrupt the official ceremony at Kololo.
“My home is surrounded by the police and military! Soldiers are back to the streets. This is how the dictator plans to swear himself in,” Bobi Wine said on twitter
The incumbent, was declared winner of the January, 14, 2021, elections after beating National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, his closest rival.
Based on the outcome of elections, it is upon that, on February 1, 2021, Bobi Wine petitioned the Supreme Court challenging Museveni’s victory in January general elections saying that the election was not free and fair.
He contended that throughout the campaign period the People of Uganda generally, and more particularly his supporters endured untold suffering, torture, degrading and inhuman treatment on the orders of Gen Museveni. He cited the dark days of 18th and 19th November 2020 which saw over 50 innocent, unarmed citizens murdered in cold blood by the police and military.
In February, the Supreme Court declined to receive over 200 pieces of evidence from his lawyers who were led by Anthony Wameli. The court registrar Harriet Ssali Lukwago said the Supreme Court could not receive the affidavits because they were filed beyond stipulated time as agreed during the pre-hearing session held last month.
“Among the rejected evidence included the affidavits of the NUP Secretary General Lewis Lubongoya, videos of pre-ticket ballots, and evidence of various polling stations where the incumbent got 100 percent. At Lwaweba polling station where they claim that Museveni got 100 percent, seven of my relatives who voted from that station didn’t vote, two pregnant women were in the labour ward and two were arrested,” Bobi recounted.
In February Supreme Court chaired by the Chief Justice Alfonso Owiny-Dollo dismissed the petition where he sought to adduce more grounds to support his 26 claims of election fraud, for which he wants president-elect Yoweri Kaguta Museveni annulled.
In the fresh grounds, Bobi contended that Mr Museveni was not qualified as Candidate and could not lawfully Contest in the Presidential Elections being a person in command of military and police contrary to Presidential Elections amendment Act and the Constitutional Amendment
In tandem, the Bobi Wine asked Justice Owiny Dollo, Mike Chibita to back off from hearing the matter because of a clear conflict of interest. He said Chief Justice represented Museveni as his lawyer in the presidential petition filed by Dr. Besigye in 2001 and the former DPP Chibita is Museveni’s former private secretary for seven years. However, justice Dollo declined to recuse himself from the bench.
Earlier in March, the singer filed an application to withdraw the matter in which he challenged President Yoweri Museveni’s victory on grounds that the court declined to receive his evidence.
On 5th March, the Supreme Court granted Bobi Wine’s application seeking to withdraw the Presidential election petition and ordered each party to bear its costs.
