Police have arrested Nigerian musician Omah Lay for staging a music concert in Uganda amid Covid-19 lockdown.
On Saturday, Omah staged a successful concert which sparked an outcry from local entertainerswho accused the Ugandan authorities of being unfair. They wondered why government had to give a go ahead to a foreign artiste to conduct a show when for them they have been been denied to perform for nine months because of Covid-19.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango said on Sunday that they currently have in custody three people in connection to the unauthorised concert that was held last night in Ddungu Resort in Munyonyo, Kampala City.
“Those arrested are Ivan Ddungu, the manager of the place where the concert was held, Omah Lay the musician and Prim Kasana, Events Manager, who contracted Omah Lay to sing,” Onyango said in a statement.
“Police is also looking for the area Officer in Charge of Police Station for failure to detect the criminal acts that took place in his area of jurisdiction.”
Onyango further stated that the organizers of the show disguised it as lunch and dinner event, but later on at night they started inviting artistes to perform.
” The suspects are detained at Katwe Police Station and are being charged with doing acts that are likely to cause the spread of infectious disease, which is corona virus.
” On the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, the president directed that music concerts should be stopped and the directives still stands.We condemn the act of some selfish individuals, who are bent on violating the directives on CONVID-19 to make money and risks the lives of many Ugandans, “Onyango added.
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