Music promoter Bajjo faces treason charges
Written by Lindah Nduwumwami on June 18, 2019
Bajjo’s arrest came moments after a press conference in which he announced a marathon organized to support Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, the Kyadondo East member of parliament to raise money he has lost over a number of failed concerts and children who lost parents during the infamous Arua riots last year.
Mukasa, trading as Bajjo Events and his colleague Abby Musinguzi, also known as Abtex productions, dragged the police to court last month for blocking Bobi Wine’s Kyarenga concerts. According to their records, up to 124 concerts featuring Kyagulanyi, have been cancelled since 2017.
The two companies said that they had a memorandum of understanding with Bobi Wine to provide entertainment at a cost of Shs 230 million. The musician cum politician had reportedly received half of the payment before the concerts were blocked.
According to the police however, the concerts that had been organized to take place in the districts of Kampala, Lira, Gulu, and Arua from April 22 to May 5, 2019, were blocked after the organizers failed to adhere to the stricter safety guidelines and site infrastructure concerns at the selected venues.
Police indicated that the previous Kyarenga concerts were characterized with multiple incidents related to public nuisance due to overcrowding, thefts, violation of traffic rules and various misconducts, which were not only a breach of law but also a danger to the revellers and the lives of other members of the community.
“Our intelligence picked up information that the event was still a risk to public safety. The promoters totally failed to meet the proactive harm minimization measures agreed upon to help address potential eventualities that might arise due to overcrowding,” police spokesperson Enanga said.
Enanga said Bajjo is now detained at Special Investigations Division in Kireka.
Meanwhile, police has warned the public against dragging deputy inspector general of police, Maj Gen Muzeeyi Sabiiti, into Bajjo’s arrest after it emerged that that van registration number UAT 511C that armed security men used to whisk Bajjo away belongs to the IGP.
The same number plate was also seen on a Land Cruiser Sabiiti chauffeured in March last year when he was going to parliament for vetting. Enanga, said dragging deputy IGP into Bajjo’s arrest was intended to divert the public from major investigations of inciting the public to rise up against President Museveni and his government.
Enanga said UAT 511C and other number plates have been registered under pseudo names purposely to be used by security units during covert operations.
“We want to put it clear that the private car number plates indeed belong to our sister agency that logistically supports the police operation. Such number plates when the situation demands can be used to achieve tactical or operational results. The DIGP last used those number plates in May 2018, while appearing before the parliamentary Appointments Committee,” Enanga said.
Police said Sabiiti has since been allocated an official police vehicle and now has no attachment to those private numbers plates.
“The case relates to the comments he made in the local language, Luganda and circulated online. When translated, Andrew Mukasa of Bajjo events warns H.E. the president of their plans to oust him before the year 2021, and further warns the military of similar plans to oust the president, and indicates with confidence how he had people backing him,” Enanga said.
Other offences police are considering slapping against Bajjo include inciting violence, misprision of treason.
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