It is a game of who will blink first. Uganda Police has strongly warned artistes and music promoters against holding a demonstration in Kampala city on Wednesday to protest against to continued ban on concerts and live performances.
But the artistes have responded by daring the police to dare stop them. Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga has this Monday told a press conference that the government will not allow the protest to take place precisely because it would promote the spread of the coronavirus.
While upholding the artistes’ constitutional right to demonstrate, Enanga said the ban against assemblies is still in force and the protection of Uganda’s lives is more important. He has reminded the artistes and music promoters that Uganda is on the verge of a second wave of the pandemic which will be more dangerous than what we have so far seen. But Abe Musinguzi of Abetex Promotions, who is the chief organiser of Wednesday’s proposed protest demo, says they have heard that story for too long and have waited and waited in dismay as activities that gather more people than concerts like church services were being freed, while the concerts continue being blocked. As such, Musinguzi said, they are no longer interested in Enanga’s explanations.Musinguzi says they have also tried to engage the Ministry of Health and the Presidency and they have now reached a stage of just going ahead with their activities, starting with Wednesday demo. He has reminded all artistes and sympathizers to gather early at the National Theatre on Wednesday. It is now a game of who will blink first. And it has an artistic twist: the artistes’ demo over the covid ban has been banned over covid. As the tongue twister rolls, the public waits to see who will blink first on Wednesday.I
