According to the Wall Street Journal, Huawei Technologies aided the Ugandan government in amplifying surveillance on Bobi Wine’s private communications.
According to the publication, technicians from the Chinese company intercepted encrypted messages in a Whatsapp group that had the membership of Bobi Wine.
Bobi Wine, popularly identified as Robert Kyagulanyi, is a fierce critic of President Yoweri Museveni. His #PeoplePower movement is seen as a prominent threat to Museveni’s hold of power.
Upon interception of the messages, the Huawei technicians shared them with Ugandan authorities. Security agencies used the messages to frustrate rallies and all activities politically associated with Bobi Wine. Bobi Wine and dozens of his supporters were, subsequently, arrested and detained.
Bobi Wine has expressed his intention of contesting for Ugandan presidency in the 2021 polls.
However, the current regime has used endless tactics to thwart his political visibility. He is currently charged with treason, due to an incident where the government accused him of stoning the president’s convoy.
Such activities by the regime appear to carry a systemic dimension of frustrating opposition
politics in Uganda.
