Aftermath Of Attack: Electoral Body Changes Security Details Of Ugandan Presidential Hopeful Bobi Wine

Following the police attack on his security team, which left a lot of his aides and others seriously injured, the Ugandan Electoral Commission (UEC), on Thursday effected changes to the security details of Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly called Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform candidate in next year’s presidential election.

Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC chairperson, confirmed that the head of the Very Important Persons Protection Unit, Ms. Hadijja Namutebi, had decided to switch the team for the pop star-turned-politician. 

“I am not in charge of the security but what I can tell you is that the security detail of Mr. Kyagulanyi has been withdrawn because I think they are tired and they don’t have leadership at this time,” he said. 

This comes just a day after the commander of Bobi Wine’s security detail, Mr. Wilfred Kato Kubai, was shot by a rubber bullet on the face together with the pop star’s right-hand man, Mr. Dan Magic. They were taken to Mulago hospital for further treatment. 

Sources told Daily Monitor that Bobi Wine had contested the decision to change his bodyguards but EC officials insisted that they should be exchanged and a new team take over immediately. 

“We are aware that they are changing our security team, let us wait and see because we are not the ones in charge. We shall continue to do our work,” Bobi Wine said. 

“The head of my security which EC gave us was shot at by the police. We believe they were targeting me because the head of security officer, Kato, and one of my producers was also shot and thrown at teargas canisters, his face split and lost his teeth,” he added. 

In the wake of the campaigns when the security was given to Bobi Wine, he rejected them after he was forcibly picked from the nomination centre and taken to his home. Bobi Wine accused them of conniving with other officers to brutalise him. 

On Wednesday, Justice Byabakama said: “It took my intervention. I called Bobi Wine and convinced him to allow the bodyguards so he should be happy when we withdraw them.”