That the man is blocked from venues, districts and towns aren’t anything new. That the authorities are blocking main-roads and such isn’t new either. Last night was brutal towards the National Unity Platform Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine.
He was already blocked from entering the venue in Kumi the day before. This evening, he was blocked from driving into Amuria and the hotel, which he had booked for resting the night. After a stand-off and hours waiting. He tried to drive to Soroti, but they blocked him from entering there too. They kept him for long in a blockade, but not only that, but also tear-gassing and pepper-spraying his vehicle. That’s what they did. While they tried to lecture him and tell him to follow orders. Meanwhile, they are just tormenting him and his fellow cadres around him.
The defenders and the noisemakers of the state will ridicule it, but they would cry loud if they even had a stone in their shoe. That’s why its so infuriating and dishonest, as we see what the authorities does and speak. They come with statements later and blaming the victim. The Police Force came out with a statement blaming Bobi Wine for not following orders.
We know this gig and what they do. They have done this play for decades now. There is nothing new under the sun. We have seen how they went after Dr. Kizza Besigye and blamed him for his every move. That’s what they are now doing to Bobi Wine. His getting tested and feeling the pain, which Besigye felt in the past on the campaign trail. Therefore, this is a usual status quo.
It is still worrying and showing what levels the state goes too. We saw in the previous campaign that Bobi Wine had to sleep on the road and in the vehicle as the army and authorities blocked him from moving. I was briefly thinking that would happen last night. However, the allowed him to a hotel in Soroti after teargassing and pepper-spraying his vehicle with him in it. That just shows what sort of treatment and hostile actions of the state towards a fellow citizen. The ones justifying that… try me!
No one deserves what happened to Bobi Wine last night. This was pure intimidation, state monopolized violence and harassment of the campaign convoy of Bobi Wine. He himself stopped, blocked and hurt for just campaigning. The state knows his moves and where he goes, as that is scheduled with the Electoral Commission and part of the Electoral Road Map. So, it is just vicious. It shows the lack of heart or concern of a fellow human being.
They are doing this to send a message, but that is already sent, when Sam Mugumya, and other political prisoners are behind bars. Just like Besigye has been detained for over a year now. That’s who they are, but they just must prove it and show how fierce they are. Peace.
MinBane 