Bebe Cool denies role in Tems and Omah Lay’s arrest, clarifies events of 2020

Ugandan musician Bebe Cool has firmly denied the accusations that he played a role in the 2020 arrest of Nigerian singers Tems and Omah Lay in Uganda.

Recalling the incident, NIGERIANS ONLINE notes that on December 12, 2020, Tems and Omah Lay were arrested and later charged in court for violating COVID-19 social distancing rules at a concert held at Speke Resort, Kampala. After spending two days in prison, they were granted bail. At the time, Tems took to X (formerly Twitter), accusing Bebe Cool of being behind their arrest.

However, in a recent interview on the Afrobeats podcast on February 11, 2025, Bebe Cool denied these allegations, sharing his side of the story. He explained, “I didn’t get Tems and Omah Lay arrested in Uganda. It’s very difficult when the internet picks up a story and spins it in a direction.”

He continued, “I was sleeping around 3 a.m. when a friend called me to inform me that the Nigerian artists had been arrested. I got the details from him and then I started making my calls.” By 6 a.m., Bebe Cool went to the police station and spoke with the DPC (District Police Commander), who confirmed the arrest. Bebe Cool questioned the DPC, asking why the artists were arrested when the event’s organizers were the ones responsible for managing the number of attendees. The DPC suggested he speak to a higher authority.

Bebe Cool added, “As I was speaking to the DPC, the show promoter saw me and started accusing me, saying ‘That’s the guy. That guy is the reason you are in prison.’ The promoter was claiming I facilitated the arrests because two weeks before the event, when the concert was being advertised, we Ugandan artists were angry with the government for shutting down performances for over a year and a half. Even I, who am pro-government, couldn’t perform for even 100 people.”

He explained that the outcry among local artists led to widespread tweets urging the government to allow small performances. “We as artists decided to tweet at the government, asking them to allow Tems and Omah Lay to perform in Uganda, which we felt would also give us a chance to perform. My tweets went viral,” he said.

Bebe Cool clarified that his only involvement was in speaking up for the release of Tems and Omah Lay, stating, “When I went to the police station, I only spoke up for the two artists who were arrested. The show promoter was also arrested, but I didn’t appeal for her release, which didn’t sit well with her.”

After visiting the police station, he made his way to the head office. While waiting there, he discovered that the Nigerian artists had been arraigned in court. “I made a call to the DPC, asking why the artists were taken to court behind my back after I had just left,” he said. “He explained that after I left, the promoter made a mess, bragging about how her mother had connections to the president.”

In conclusion, Bebe Cool emphasized that it was he, not the Nigerian Ambassador, who worked tirelessly to secure the release of the two artists, refuting reports in some media outlets suggesting otherwise.