By Andrew Baba Buluba
National Unity Platform(NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has spoken out on the arrest of the party’s mobilization secretary for eastern Uganda Moses Bigirwa.
Bigirwa, a former contestant in the 2021 parliamentary election for Kamuli Municipality, was arrested on allegations of attempting to solicit money from Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among.
According to reports, Bigirwa had, in a series of media offensives targeted the Bekedea Woman MP with the aim of extorting her.
On Friday however, Among, through her aides laid a trap for the NUP leader, consequently trapping him. He was cunningly invited to receive the money to wet his beak and anxiously made it to the Deputy Speaker’s residence from where he was nabbed and whisked off to Kibuli CID headquarters and detained.
Bobi Wine has however punched holes in reports of his subordinate’s involvement in any kind of fraud, saying the vocal regime critic is being witch-hunted for his political activism.
Contrary to reports that Bigirwa was nabbed at Among’s residence, Bobi Wine says his aide was kidnapped from Northern bypass on his way to Kamuli, along with his wife and child. The trio was reportedly driven to Kibuli, before the wife and child were released as Bigirwa was retained and driven to an unknown location.
“I have learnt of the violent arrest of comrade Bigirwa Moses – our Mobilization Secretary for Eastern Uganda – together with his wife and baby,” Bobi Wine said in a statement shared on his official social media platforms on Friday.
“Available information indicates that Bigirwa and his family were grabbed this evening from their vehicle at the Northern Bypass in Bwaise as they drove to their home in Kamuli District. The trio were then forced into a double cabin truck that sped off to Kibuli Police Station. Cde. Bigirwa’s wife says when they reached Kibuli, their phones were seized and she was then ordered to go home with the child. Moments later, Bigirwa was violently bundled into a drone and driven away to an unknown destination,” He added.
The former presidential candidate condemned what he called “the renewed witch hunt and intimidation” of members, and supporters of his party.
“I am concerned about and condemn in the strongest terms the renewed witch-hunt and intimidation of NUP members and supporters,” he wrote.
