Bebe Cool Denies Involvement in Tems and Omah Lay’s Arrest in Uganda

Ugandan musician Bebe Cool has dismissed allegations that he played a role in the 2020 arrest of Nigerian artists Tems and Omah Lay in Uganda.

The duo was detained after performing at a concert in Speke Resort, Kampala, on December 12, 2020, despite COVID-19 restrictions at the time. Their arrest sparked outrage, with Tems later accusing Bebe Cool via social media of facilitating the incident.

However, speaking on a recent episode of the Afrobeats Podcast, Bebe Cool denied any involvement, stating that he was unaware of their arrest until a friend informed him at 3 a.m..

“I was asleep when I got a call about their arrest. I immediately started making inquiries and by 6 a.m., I was at the police station speaking with the Divisional Police Commander (DPC). I asked why they arrested the artists when they were not in charge of the event’s organization,” he explained.

He further stated that his tweets criticizing the Ugandan government’s restrictions on local artists were misinterpreted as an attempt to have Tems and Omah Lay detained.

Bebe Cool maintained that he actively lobbied for their release, contradicting reports that Nigeria’s ambassador to Uganda was responsible for securing their freedom