Tortured Ugandan singer-lawmaker in US for treatment
Prominent Ugandan opposition lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi arrived in the US on Saturday to seek medical treatment for what he said was torture by authorities in his country.
Kyagulanyi, a popular musician known by his stage name Bobi Wine, was elected last year and has amassed a large following among youth electrified by his scathing criticism of President Yoweri Museveni, sometimes delivered in his songs.
Protests erupted in the Ugandan capital on Friday after police detained Kyagulanyi at the airport at a previous attempt to travel abroad for medical care.
In a tweet posted on Saturday evening, Kyagulanyi said: “Safely arrived in the US where I’ll be receiving specialised treatment following the brutal torture at the hands of SFC [Uganda’s Special Forces Command] soldiers.
“I will soon tell you what exactly happened to me since August 13 and what is next,” he said, referring to the day he was detained after being accused by authorities of throwing stones at a presidential convoy.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The lawmaker has said he was beaten up and tortured while in detention.
Ugandan authorities initially dismissed the allegations that Kyagulanyi had been beaten up in detention as rubbish and fake news.
But late on Friday, a police spokesperson said there would be an investigation into those allegations.
Kyagulanyi, who has emerged as a formidable threat to the president who has been in power for 32 years, was charged with treason over his alleged role in the stoning of Museveni’s convoy. –