Following the precedents where police has been on the spot for blocking opposition leaders from appearing on radio talkshows, todays incident has left Ugandans with Mixed reactions.
Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine was expected to be hosted on a private owned KFM VPN talk show.
Over unclear circumstances, the show host, veteran Journalist Ben Mwine revealed to the listeners that the president hopeful was unable to make it for highly anticipated show.
Though he categorically made it clear that government is not responsible for Bobi Wine’s absconding, his supporters have restlessly expressed their hard feeling alleging that police must be behind all the plans.
Just one day back, Police and the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) in Mubende district stormed Mubende FM radio and switched it off in a bid to stop a talk show in which the former Forum for Democratic Change President, Dr. Kizza Besigye had been hosted.
Mubende FM in Central Uganda becomes the third private radio in a space of two weeks to be switched off by the police for hosting Dr. Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate.
Just after about 10 minutes on air, Mubende FM Radio broadcasting at 106, was surrounded by heavily armed police officers led by the District Police Commander Martin Okoyo and RDC Ms Mary Nyakwera Baguma and switched off the station from the mast. The talk show was hosted by Yusuf Kibalama.
On Saturday, 13th April and 04th April 2019, Kiira FM based in Jinja and Hope Radio in Kabale Municipality were switched off respectively, a few minutes into the shows.
In all the shut downs of the said radios, no authoritative directives from the Uganda Communications Commission which is the regulatory bodywere presented by the police, neither did they quote any law under which the stations were switched off, hence ending the talk shows pre-maturely.
