High Court Orders Army, Police To Leave Bobi Wine’s Compound

A High Court has ordered Ugandan police and army officers to vacate the premises of popstar-cum-politician Bobi Wine.

In a ruling delivered on Monday, the court also found that the continued detention of the opposition politician, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is unlawful and unconstitutional.

Wine has been holed up at his home in Magere after a disputed election returned President Yoweri Museveni to office for a sixth term.

He has not left his home since he cast his ballot on Thursday January 14. He was prevented from leaving the premises from Friday as soldiers and police surrounded the compound.

The soldiers are also preventing anyone from entering or leaving. A planned visit by the US Ambassador to Uganda, for instance, aborted after security officials blocked Amb Natalie Brown from seeing him.

Later, the government accused the envoy of breaching diplomatic norms over her attempt to visit.

“We expect her to write to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to adhere to diplomatic norms. We don’t think that a friendly country or someone who wants to help out in a difficult situation would act in this way,” State spokesman Ofwono Opondo told AFP at the time.