Culture

Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine arrested on arrival at Entebbe Airport

Published

1 year ago

October 5, 2023

Ugandan musician-turned-politician, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was on Thursday arrested at the Entebbe International Airport in the capital, Kampala on his return to the country, his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), said in a statement.

The party, in the statement posted on social media, said Wine was “violently arrested upon his return to Uganda”, with his “whereabouts yet to be ascertained.”

The NUP said the popular opposition leader was “grabbed” by “government goons” and put under house arrest on his return from abroad.

According to the party, Wine flew in from South Africa on Thursday, via the Rwandan capital, Kigali, following a series of international engagements. His supporters had planned to welcome him at Entebbe International Airport and accompany him to his home in a huge march, but the police said this was illegal.

A video posted by the NUP on X showed the political leader being led away after disembarking from a plane in Entebbe, while one of his associates was heard on the video saying, “Where are you taking him?”

“The cowardly regime has arrested our president upon arrival at Entebbe Airport. We set out to receive him today, but the panicky regime security could not even allow him into immigration,” Mathias Mpuuga, the NUP leader in parliament, said in reaction to the arrest.

However, the Ugandan police has denied Bobi Wine’s arrest, saying he was merely “escorted” home.

“Disregard rumours of his arrest by propagandists,” National Police spokesman, Patrick Onyango told journalists, adding that the security agents had only accompanied Wine to his residence in Magere, Kasangati.

Wine, a former pop star, has been the strongest challenger to President Yoweri Museveni who has held office for almost 40 years. He has had several brushes with the government since he dumped the microphone for politics.

He has been arrested numerous times and has faced several charges, including treason, incitement and corruption.

In 2021, Wine made a failed bid for the presidency in a tense and disputed election which many political analysts in the country said was rigged in favour of Museveni.

The election campaign was marked by a crackdown on the opposition, with at least 54 people killed during anti-government demonstrations.

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Culture

Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

Culture

UNESCO lists Ghana’s Kente cloth as cultural heritage

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The iconic Ghanaian Kente, a piece of clothing, has been recognized as a cultural heritage on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The global recognition, according to the UN body, is coming under the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage highlights the cultural and historical significance of the vibrant, handwoven textile.

In a citation on its website, UNESCO describes the Kente cloth as “originating from Ghana’s Asante and Ewe communities and renowned worldwide for its bold colors, intricate patterns, and deep symbolic meanings, embodying the creativity and identity of the Ghanaian people.”

Ghana’s Tourism Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, described the recognition as a testament to Ghana’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage.

“This achievement places Ghana at the forefront of global efforts to safeguard and celebrate cultural traditions,” he noted.

In a statement acknowledging the recognition, Mercer said the “Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, UNESCO, and the artisans, cultural institutions, and traditional authorities who contributed to this milestone.”

“Special acknowledgement is given to the Bonwire and Agotime communities for their enduring role as custodians of the craft.

“As Ghana celebrates this historic moment, MoTAC reaffirms its dedication to promoting and preserving the nation’s rich cultural legacy.”