Bobi Wine has expressed fears that Fred Lumbuye’s arrest will discourage Ugandans, whether at home or in diaspora, from speaking out about the evil going on in the country right now.
Bobi Wine, party president of the National Unity Platform party, has raised concerns that the arrest of prominent Ugandan Facebook and YouTube vlogger, Fred Lumbuye is intended to prevent Ugandans whether at home or abroad from speaking out about the evils of the current regime.
Fred Lumbuye was reportedly arrested in Turkey on Wednesday.
Various sources indicated that the blogger had applied for a passport renewal at the Ugandan embassy in Turkey, but the officials there confiscated his documents, forcing him to appear physically and later arresting him.
The blogger has for the past years been a strong critic of the National Resistance Movement regime airing live videos of him giving his take on what is at stake and what will happen to the regime in the next days.
Earlier, he together with other bloggers was cited out for being behind the social media false rumours about President Museveni’s death.
Posts on social media indicate he will be deported to Uganda, where he will face charges, including misinforming the public, engaging in an act that is likely to elicit violence in the country, as well as making false accusations against government officials.
Based on related social media posts, he will indeed be deported back to Uganda, where he will be tried for charges of misinforming the public, inciting violent acts and raising false accusations against government officials.
Bobi Wine, in a statement via his social media handle, said that Lumbuye’s arrest raises concerns to many bloggers, especially those in the diaspora who have used the idea of being far from the regime’s leaders to air their concerns openly without fear.
Kyagulanyi however, thanked those committed Ugandans who have despite all the constant fears remained positive towards speaking about such evil deeds.
He, in addition, aimed to dig at the Ugandan embassy for accepting to connive with those in Uganda to make their wishes true.
He said they have to protect citizens who are seeking refugee in other countries but now they are holding them captive.
“This morning, we woke up to the news of the arrest of political activist Fred Kajjubi Lumbuye from Turkey. This news is of great concern to many Ugandans who support freedom both home and abroad. For now, we are working around the clock to establish the facts, and I am grateful to all those who are doing everything to support his case, including our diaspora leadership teams. Our leadership team at home has also engaged the Turkish Embassy on the matter.”
“We all must be very concerned about this development, because as we know many Ugandans only feel safe to criticise the regime in Uganda from a safe distance in countries abroad. The governments of the world ought to protect the rights of political dissidents and exiles who have sought refuge in their countries,” Bobi Wine said.
