Uganda: Bebe Cool deflects Bobi Wine questions at charity presser

The Golden Heart Concert was held earlier this month at Kololo Airstrip in the capital Kampala and was attended by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

Bebe Cool’s close proximity to the long-serving Museveni has drawn public scrutiny in the recent past, with many accusing the ragga singer of collaborating with Uganda's oppressive regime at a time that has seen musician-turned-politico Bobi Wine jailed and allegedly tortured.

Avoiding to discuss the matter during a Monday press conference, Bebe Cool said he had not made an official statement about Bobi Wine and would do so at an appropriate time.

“Uganda is a democratic country and everyone has a right to choose," Bebe Cool told reporters on Monday. "For now I choose to be silent about this situation.

"These five children are the sole reason we are here today. As the country focuses on other things today, we focus on them. They have a very complicated heart condition and I almost cried when I saw them. After the concert, we went through a process of checking them into hospital and preparing their visas."

The money was officially handed over to Action For Disadvantaged People at Torino Bar and Restaurant in Kampala. The five children will fly out to India with their guardians on 2 September.

Bebe Cool also used the conference to announce the launch of the Amber Heart Foundation, which the singer will employ to raise money for young people living with heart ailments.

“Amber is the highest quality of gold and it symbolises the golden heart of giving," he said. "Through this foundation I hope to raise money for as many heart conditions as I can.

“I thank the nation as a whole for attending the Golden Heart Concert, supporting the Golden Heart course and being good citizens of Uganda. We demand a lot from our country, but we must also ask what we can do for our country.”