8 Crane Band Bembers Arrested For Insulting Museveni At Mbabazi’s Wedding Anniversary

By  U R N

At least eight members of the Crane Performers group are in police custody for allegedly insulting President Yoweri Museveni as the latter was delivering his speech while at the 50th marriage anniversary of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi.

Mbabazi celebrated 50 years of his marriage to Jacqueline Mbabazi on Saturday at Serena Hotel, Kampala.

As Museveni was addressing Mbabazi’s guests at around 11pm, eight Crane Performers allegedly insulted him in Runyankole for overspeaking.

The words in Runyankole, according to security sources were ‘Rutabandana Waturusya Rugahamuzindaro’ loosely translated as over speaker, we are tired, leave the microphone. Senior security sources said that the voices shocked very many people and they turned to see the people who were insulting Museveni.

Amama Mbabazi (L) receives President Museveni and his wife Janet Kataha at his 50th marriage anniversary with Jacqueline Mbabazi on Saturday at Serena Hotel, Kampala. 

As everyone was wondering who were the people insulting the President, Lt Tonny Komakech, a Special Forces Command (SFC) member, said he had seen the Crane Performers abusing the fountain of honour.

“Immediately, security rounded up Crane Performers as suspects who had insulted the President. The group’s director Gordon Kayovu was among the suspects,” sources said.

Other members of Crane Performers that were arrested and taken to Kampala Central Police Station include; Edward Tugume, 37, David Muvunyi, 47, Walter Oleng, 38, Simon Bebwa, 27, Paul Ruduli, and Tonny Okello.

A case file on reference CPS K’LA CRB 614/2024 was opened on Sunday where charges of insulting the person of the President were preferred against the suspects.

“We recorded the statements on Sunday from the suspects and witnesses. They were interviewed in the presence of SFC,” sources said.

Mr Patrick Onyango, the Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson said he had not been briefed about anything related to insulting the person of the President. However, sources said the Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS) was invited to profile and fingerprint the suspects at CPS.

“It was a tense situation as everything was being done or directed by SFC. Whatever the police did was also recorded by SFC. It was established that all the arrested suspects had microphones at the time of the occurrence,” sources said.

However, sources said a directive has since been given by one of the SFC officers to ensure that the suspects are not taken to court, but should be released on police bond.