Deputy IGP James Ocaya says police won’t leave Bobi Wine’s home until he comes back.
The issue of security at Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s home came up during a meeting held between Public Accounts Committee and Uganda Police Force called for the law and enforcement agency to respond to queries in the 2024/25 Auditor General’s report.
Mawogola South MP Gorreth Namugga, who is the Vice Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, tasked the Ocaya-led team about security deployment at Bobi Wine’s Magere home. Namuga also wanted to know when police plans to leave the main opposition leader’s home.
“We have had concerns of citizens around that place of businesses being affected with your presence. So, police, we want you [give us] updates that there [are] in that area. Update us on how long you have been there, how is the home, because the man might be enjoying the place? Tell us the feel of the home,” Namugga demanded.
In response, Namugga said the deployment was meant for the protection of Bobi Wine’s property since he was not home.
“Our presence is to provide security because all of you know that he [Bobi Wine] is not there. If we are not there, people vandalise his property. So, we are there making sure his property is safe. We are there to maintain the security of the home from vandalism because people are not there,” the deputy IGP answered.
Namugga then wondered what police was doing when the home of Bobi Wine was raided and his wife brutalized.
“We want to learn from you, we understand that home was vandalised. People came in the night. You saw that clip of [Bobi Wine’s wife] being brutalised. Where were the Police? Who came to vandalise during the night and where was the police?”
Ocaya’s response? “That is why we are there – so that it doesn’t reoccur.”
In Ocaya’s view, there was no clear date on when police will leave Bobi Wine’s home. But when Bobi Wine returnes, the deputy IGP continued, he will be directed to hire private security guards for his Magere home.
Further asked by Namugga on when Police intends to leave Kyagulanyi’s home, Ocaya didn’t give a timeline but rather noted that when Kyagulanyi returns, he will be asked to hire private security for his home and denied allegations that he was treating the deployment at Kyagulanyi’s home casually.
Ocaya also noted that police was investigating the attack at Bobi Wine’s home and the brutality meted on his wife Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi.
“Sometimes, we prevent crimes from happening but where they happen, we investigate. So, the matter is under investigation to get to the facts of the matter.”
But Namugga’s colleagues were unhappy that Ocaya had casually argued that police was stationed at Bobi Wine’s home to protect it.
“I don’t know why we should allow the IGP to casually respond to a matter of grave human rights concern,” said Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa.
“When you camped at Dr. Kizza Besigye’s home, we went to court and challenged your deployment and roadblocks, and the courts said, Police have no right to keep a person incommunicado at their home, because a home is not a detention facility.
“They even told you that house arrest is equally illegal. So, how do you camp at somebody’s home, and you are violating the right of ingress and egress? That is the entry and exit.”
Basalirwa wondered why Bobi Wine’s family and legal team have to seek police’s permission to access the National Unity Platform president’s home.
“The other day his brothers and sisters went, they could not access the home, they needed permission from you. The lawyers from Uganda Law Society, even his private lawyers, attempted to access that home, they were blocked by you,” Basalirwa said.
“Honestly speaking, which kind of security and protection are you talking about by denying the right of entry, even exit. The family members of Kyagulanyi inside cannot easily exit. Even people who want to take there food, you are blocking them. Really, [deputy] IGP, can really this be a matter to casually talk about? Are you giving it the seriousness it deserves?”
Meanwhile, police officers assigned to guard Bobi Wine have been arrested, as reported Here.
Uganda’s army, the UPDF, has said it is neither interested in Bobi Wine nor looking for him. (See Details Here and There).
