Musician turned politician Robert Kyagulanyi is arrested by police before he was whisked away by his supporters during a demonstration on July 11, 2018 in Kampala to protest a controversial tax on the use of social media.
The memo to authorities could hardly be more explicit: "This is a message to the government expressing exactly what is on the people's minds," Ugandan pop star Bobi Wine announces to open a single, "Freedom." In the song, the musician — whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu — sings that Ugandans are living in a world similar to the slave trade and suffering oppression that is worse than apartheid. He proceeds, questioning the point of Uganda's Constitution while noting that he and his followers are fighting for freedom. The Uganda Communications Commission took a rather dim view of the anthem, quickly banning it after its release in November 2017. "Freedom," however, has only served as a prelude to the singer's political ascent this year — as well as a bloody crackdown last month in which he was charged with treason and allegedly tortured in prison.
