National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential aspirant Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s private bodyguard Norbert Elba Ariho was neither in possession nor did he throw the explosive that injured ASP Wilfred Kato Kubai and Producer Daniel Oyerwot aka Dan Magic, fresh evidence suggests.
Whereas a video recorded by NUP-affiliated Ghetto TV had implicated Ariho as having thrown the explosive that is now believed to have been a sophisticated teargas canister with characteristics of grenades.
A video captured by a Next Media cameraperson shows the explosive flying from the side where the security officers stood as Bobi Wine engaged them for blocking his campaign rally.
The canister fell on a car windscreen near Ariho, and the Bobi Wine private bodyguard did not roll it on the car to the side of Bobi Wine as it had been widely reported on December 02 based on the Ghetto TV video.
Additionally, the canister did not roll back to Ariho’s side.
But rather, the new video evidence shows a canister flying to Bobi Wine’s and Ariho’s side, hitting a vehicle before it exploded, released teargas and noise.
When the Ghetto video was first shared, pro-government activists accused Bobi Wine of planning chaos to blame security agencies.
“Slowly by slowly, their games will be exposed,” wrote President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s senior press secretary Don Wanyama.
POLICE VERSION
On December 02, police spokesperson Fred Enanga claimed Ariho had fired the explosive. He also blamed the Bobi Wine campaign team for attempting to deflate the tyres of a police vehicle.
“A tear gas canister was hurled from behind the candidate by a man who has now been identified as Ariho Elba Nobert who forms part of his security detail. The teargas canister fell on the vehicle right behind the candidate and went off,” said Enanga.
“Several fragments and particles significantly injured a senior police officer, who is part of his security detail, together with a close associate of the candidate, who was injured while trying to place pointed nails on the car tyres to the police patrol pickup, to deflate them. Another group started applying petrol around the fuel tank area of the patrol vehicle to purposely set it on fire.”
Enanga added: “Our task team had no choice left with them, but to release teargas to diffuse the volatile and dangerous situation instigated by the provocative conduct of the candidate and his aggressive team.”
On the victims of the explosion, ASP Kato, Dan Magic and Justine Bukirwa, a 45-year-old female adult, vendor at Nazigo Market, Enanga said the three were rushed to Nazigo Health Centre III for treatment. Kato and Magic were transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital, and later Rubaga Hospital.
