The Ugandan MP and pop star Bobi Wine has been charged with treason in a civilian court shortly after a military court freed him.<\/p>\n
Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was immediately re-arrested after being released.<\/p>\n
His lawyers say he has been assaulted in detention, which the military and President Yoweri Museveni deny.<\/p>\n
He was detained along with 30 others ahead of last week’s by-election in the north-western town of Arua.<\/p>\n
The arrests have raised tension across the country and sparked protests. Police have sealed off the homes of a number of opposition politicians, and high-profile opposition figure Kizza Besigye has been arrested in the capital Kampala.<\/p>\n
Uganda’s New Vision newspaper reported that\u00a0Bobi Wine looked “weak”<\/a>\u00a0as he initially appeared before the military court in the northern city of Gulu, where charges of unlawfully possessing firearms were dropped.<\/p>\n His lawyer said he needed “urgent medical care”, the newspaper reported.<\/p>\n After being freed by the General Court Martial, Bobi Wine was told by his lawyer that he was under arrest again and he was put into a police vehicle with his wife to be taken to the Chief Magistrates Court, the BBC’s Catherine Byaruhanga in Gulu says.<\/p>\n There have been protests against his detention in Uganda and calls by global stars such as Chris Martin, Damon Albarn and Angelique Kidjo for his release.<\/p>\n On Tuesday\u00a0the Ugandan military apologised after soldiers were caught on film beating up a journalist<\/a>\u00a0who was covering a demonstration supporting Mr Wine.<\/p>\n He was detained in Arua, where President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, was campaigning.<\/p>\n The authorities say opposition lawmakers led supporters to attack the president’s convoy with stones. Bobi Wine’s driver was later shot dead.<\/p>\n The ruling party went on to lose the seat to opposition candidate Kassiano Wadri, who also remains in custody and is facing treason charges.<\/p>\n The authorities say weapons and ammunition were found in Bobi Wine’s hotel room.<\/p>\n The charges are widely viewed as politically motivated and aimed at silencing a prominent critic of the president.\u00a0The US decried the “brutal treatment” of MPs, journalists and others by security forces<\/a>.<\/p>\n He is a successful Afrobeats star, known for a repertoire of catchy tunes that touch on poverty and social justice issues.<\/p>\n The lifestyle and love life of the self-styled “ghetto president”, which refers to his upbringing in the poorest slum of the capital, became tabloid fodder.<\/p>\n He shifted gears in 2017, cutting off his dreadlocks and donning sharp suits as he turned his eye to Ugandan politics.<\/p>\n He went on to beat more established candidates by a landslide in a by-election and became the MP for Kyadondo East in central Uganda.<\/p>\n In a country where\u00a0more than three-quarters<\/a>\u00a0of the population is under the age of 30, Bobi Wine might have demographics on his side.<\/p>\n He has been described as a magnetic presence and a skilled orator, who has the potential to galvanise the country’s youth.<\/p>\n He told the BBC in 2017 that he wanted to be the voice of the younger generation. “I’m here to give young people confidence,” he said.<\/p>\n He might also have a knack for being kingmaker. In the past year, three candidates backed by Bobi Wine have won parliamentary seats in by-elections.<\/p>\n Yes. His popularity could make him President Museveni’s biggest challenger in the 2021 elections.<\/p>\n He protested with activists against a social media tax introduced to boost state revenue, which the government has since backtracked on.<\/p>\n Bobi Wine was also one of the leading critics of a push to scrap the constitutional upper age limit, set at 75, for presidential candidates.<\/p>\n But the change was signed into law and will allow 74-year-old Mr Museveni to run for a sixth term in 2021.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why was Bobi Wine arrested in the first place?<\/h2>\n
Who is Bobi Wine?<\/h2>\n
Why is he so popular?<\/h2>\n
Is he upsetting the status quo?<\/h2>\n