Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Foreign Affairs State Minister Henry Okello Oryem says that Ugandans should be happy that controversial blogger and government critic, Fred Lumbuye who has been breaking the law has been arrested.
Speaking to reporters at the government-owned Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Oryem said although he couldn’t confirm whether Fred Lumbuye had been arrested, it should be known to everybody that nobody is above the law.
“I heard that he has been arrested. And if he’s arrested because of a crime he committed, then he deserves to be arrested because of that crime. Anybody who commits a crime in any country whatsoever will pay the price for committing or breaking the law, including in Uganda.
That person you’re talking about is not a special person. Who is he that he can be above the law irrespective of where he is! The law is very clear in all countries; you break the law, you pay the penalty. So if he broke the law then he will pay the price,” Mr Oryem said.
“And I would have thought that every single one of you would be celebrating that this person committed a crime and he’s been arrested and being brought before the court of law but now it seems you’re sympathizing with him,” he added.
Lumbuye is a Ugandan blogger living in Turkey who has been a thorn in the shoes of many government officials. On his popular social media pages especially Facebook, Fred Lumbuye is fond of making wild allegations against the government and its officials.
In July, he was a source of a rumour that dominated social media that President Museveni was very ill and admitted to a hospital in Germany.
And the following days he took his allegations to even another level when he announced that Museveni had actually died from the hospital where he had been taken.
Speaking a few days later, President Museveni said the country has got another challenge of social media that it must deal with urgently.
Read Also: Police looking for all people who shared a post declaring Museveni dead
He ordered security agencies to hunt down anybody who is trading rumours that he was dead and for those outside the country, their citizenship should be revoked.
‘Apparently, social media has been saying that Museveni is dead. They (Security service) should locate very quickly- the one who tells such a story. Security service should solve that problem. I need to check with them (security service) so that we go for you.
If you’re in Europe, we denounce you and say go to hell because you are wasting people’s time,’’ Mr Museveni said after a section of social media users and bloggers announced him dead.
According to Lumbuye’s associates online, he was arrested at the Ugandan Embassy in Istanbul where he had gone to renew his passport.
The embassy is yet to make any statement on the issue.
Meanwhile, this publication has learnt that Fred Lumbuye who “killed” President Museveni on social media, will be deported to Uganda on Saturday 7, August 2021 morning.
“Lumbuye will be deported to Uganda tomorrow morning. On arrival he’ll put in custody and later brought to book for inciting sectarianism using social media,” Foreign Affairs State Minister Henry Okello Oryem has confirmed.
