National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has claimed that about 15 Ugandans who returned home from Dubai and other Middle East cities on Tuesday were driven to the taxi parks leading to their home districts and directed never to set foot at the main opposition party’s headquarters in Kamwokya, Kampala or even the principal’s home found in Magere, Wakiso District.
The first batch of Ugandans stuck abroad returned a few days ago, ending months of their suffering in the Middle East where they were doing Kyeyo. Bobi Wine has been running a fundraising campaign to help repatriate hundreds of Ugandan youths said to be stuck in Dubai and elsewhere in the Middle East. Some of these Ugandans were said to be sleeping on the streets while others were in detention centers after their permits expired.
When the first batch, comprising 12 returnees, arrived in the country, Bobi Wine and his wife Barbara Itungo aka Barbie Kyagulanyi hosted them at their home in Magere where they narrated the suffering they have reportedly been undergoing while on Kyeyo.
Bobi Wine, who has severally castigated the Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni government for ignoring Ugandans suffering abroad, told the state to stop harassing and detaining returnees simply because he and his party is running a fundraising campaign to mobilize resources to help these stranded people return home.
“Very delighted this evening to receive the first batch of 12 Ugandans who have been stuck at Al Awir Deportation Jail for several months! The stories are sad. Many fled dehumanising conditions and ended up in the detention. Grateful to all of you who have embraced this effort!” wrote Bobi Wine on the day the first batch of 12 Kyeyo workers returned home. “The whole intention is of course to frustrate this effort! Can the shameless, timid regime release these helpless people, who include a baby? They have already gone through so much suffering without your help. Now let them go to their families!”
But if Bobi Wine’s claims are anything to go by, the Museveni state did not listen to his calls but rather ignored them and operatives are keen on ensuring that the returnees’ ties with Bobi Wine are cut. According to Bobi Wine, the returnee were detained at the Entebbe International Airport for a number of hours, their mobile phones confiscated and grilled over their alleged links to the NUP boss and hus party’s political activities.
“As part of our effort to repatriate Ugandans stuck in detention abroad, 15 Ugandans landed at Entebbe today 10:30am. They were singled out by operatives who are still holding them seven hours later! Before their phones were taken, they said they were being interrogated about NUP!” alleged Bobi Wine.
The singer and politician would later give an update claiming that after hours of being grilled, the Kyeyo returnees were driven by security officers and taken to taxi parks and ordered to return to their families and never to visit Bobi Wine.
“… armed operatives placed the 15 repatriated Ugandans into a “drone” and drove them to taxi-parks, with instructions to go to their villages and not be seen anywhere near Kamwokya (NUP office) or Magere (My home), or they’ll face consequences!” said the former presidential candidate.
It should be remembered that a few weeks ago, Bobi Wine was arrested in Dubai and forced to cancel his Dubai charity concert. He has since revealed the ‘enemy’ he believes ordered the cancellation of his Dubai charity concert. (Read Story Here).
Days later, Museveni’s son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba wondered why Ugandan girls were going to Dubai to work as house girls yet such maids jobs were plenty in Uganda. In response, Bobi Wine told off Muhoozi, saying that he was like his father and mother. (See Details Here).
