This archive report was first published on 6 January 2020.
Ugandan politician Bobi Wine was arrested on January 6, 2020, after attempting to access a venue in Kampala, Uganda, where a public participation exercise was to take place.
According to Ugandan media, the People Power Movement leader was taken into custody as he made entry to the venue, flanked by several supporters, and was whisked away by heavily armed officers to a police station in Kasangati, Wakiso, Central Uganda.
Police spokesman Fred Enanga stated, "We are temporarily holding them in our police station in Kasangati. We shall have to release them at some later stage but we are looking at charges of holding an unlawful assembly and disobedience of lawful orders," as reported by AFP.
Hours before his arrest, a hotel where Bobi Wine had planned to hold a meeting with over 2,000 delegates on January 7 cancelled its reservation, fearing reprisals from the state.
The hotel's manager, Solomon Onono, denied claims of coercion, stating that they turned down the booking for fear that their business may be affected by the activities of the movement.
Onono explained, "We fear that what they are coming for is politics and will affect our business. We have also consulted with police and they told us that the team haven’t approached them," in an interview.
Kitgum resident District Commissioner, William Komakech, affirmed that Bobi Wine's outfit approached the hotel without notifying the security teams in the district, as required by the Public Order Management Act (POMA).
