Ugandan singer Bebe Cool has denied accusations that he was involved in the arrest of Nigerian artists Tems and Omah Lay in Uganda in 2020.
The two artists were detained after performing at a concert that violated COVID-19 social distancing regulations.
In a recent interview on the Afrobeats podcast, Bebe Cool shared his version of the events, explaining that he had actually played a key role in advocating for their release.
He described how, after receiving a call about their arrest, he took immediate action by contacting authorities and visiting the police station to intervene on their behalf.
“I didn’t get Tems and Omah Lay arrested in Uganda. It’s very difficult when the internet picks up a story in a certain direction,” he explained.
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Bebe Cool recounted how, around 3 a.m., he was informed about the arrest, and by 6 a.m., he had already visited the police station.
He spoke to the DPC (District Police Commander) and questioned why the artists were being arrested when the concert organizers, not the artists, were in charge of the event’s attendance.
Despite his efforts to help, the promoter of the event accused him of being the reason for the artists’ arrest, citing his earlier outspoken tweets about the government’s ban on live performances for local artists.
Bebe Cool clarified that while he worked to secure Tems and Omah Lay’s release, he did not intervene on behalf of the event’s promoter.
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The singer expressed frustration at being blamed for the incident, adding, “When I went to the police station, I only put in words for the two artists who were arrested.”
He also highlighted the tension surrounding local artists’ inability to perform during the pandemic, which led to a viral social media campaign advocating for the artists’ right to perform in Uganda.
