CBS radio management has denied claims that the government had blocked them from hosting the popular Kyaddondo East MP Bobi Wine Kyagulanyi Sentamu. For much of the week, social media messages spread that Bobi Wine, whose camp suffered backlash after Col Kizza Besigye was attacked at CBS as he left the same show last Saturday, would have the opportunity on Saturday 9th March to give his side of the story. Consequently, an impression was created Bobi Wine would be hosted and when that didn’t happen, his diehard supporters like EALA MP Fred Mukasa Mbidde took to social media to condemn the Ugandan state for its highhandedness and intolerance to Bobi Wine and the views he represents. Mbidde, who is also DP Vice President, claimed the CBS management had been ordered not to host Bobi Wine, something he vehemently condemned. Indeed Saturday 9th March came and there was no Bobi on CBS. We reached out to people in CBS top management and officials involved in the political programming all of whom denied ever planning such a show. “It was the creation of his supporters on social media otherwise we never had such plans to host Bobi this Saturday,” said a top CBS official on condition of anonymity. In the time (10-12pm) when Bobi Wine had been expected, moderator Med Nsereko hosted his usual panelists namely MP Robert Kasule Sebunya, People’s Government spokesperson Betty Nambooze, Minister Vincent Sempijja, Lawyer Yusuf Nsibambi, Imam Kasozi and Pr. Abed Bwanika. There was no mention of Bobi Wine regarding why he wasn’t on air. “There was no need to make such clarification because it was never us that promoted the Saturday show on which it was alleged he would feature,” said the CBS official strongly refuting claims the state had blocked Mr. Wine’s appearance. The same CBS official also clarified on reports that some employees were complicit in the last Saturday fracas in order to deepen a wedge between Bobi Wine and Besigye so as to strengthen President Museveni and his NRM party. “The truth is every Saturday we have the Gakyali mabaga [Mambo Bado] political program which starts at 12pm after Parliament Yaffe. It’s a program on which all sheds of political opinion are represented including supports of NRM, People Power, DP, FDC and others. So the guys who engaged in the fist fights gained access to the compound because they were on their way for that Gakyali mabaga program. Coincidentally, Dr. Besigye was on his way out as they arrived. That’s why you had almost an equal number of FDC activists and those that confronted Dr. Besigye. It’s as simple as that otherwise there was no connivance by CBS or its employees to facilitate chaos in our own compound,” the top CBS said in a bid to explain away the ugly incident that had initially disreputed CBS’ otherwise well respected brand.
