Faith Nyasuguta
Uganda’s main opposition leader, Bobi Wine, was injured in a confrontation with security forces in a northern suburb of Kampala on Tuesday. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was reportedly shot in the leg by security agents, according to his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Wine, a former pop star turned politician, is widely regarded as the most formidable challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for nearly four decades. Wine finished second in the 2021 presidential election, a race marked by allegations of electoral fraud and intimidation against opposition candidates.
The NUP claimed on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that security operatives made an attempt on Wine’s life, stating, “He was shot in the leg and seriously injured.” The police, however, offered a different account, asserting that officers tried to block Wine and his team from proceeding down a road, leading to an altercation. They announced an investigation to establish the facts.
According to a police statement on X, “Police officers on site claim he stumbled while getting into his vehicle, causing the injury, whereas Hon. Kyagulanyi and his team assert that he was shot.”
Footage shared on social media shows NUP officials assisting Wine as he hobbled out of the Najeem Medical Centre in the Bulindo neighborhood, visibly in pain with a bleeding wound on his left shin.
David Lewis Rubongoya, NUP Secretary-General, condemned the incident, calling it “another attempt on his life” and criticizing the ongoing violence against those opposed to the Museveni regime. “The continuing violence meted out on those opposed to the Museveni regime must be condemned by all people of good conscience,” Rubongoya said.
Wine has faced multiple confrontations with the authorities, including arrests, alleged torture, and harassment. In 2018, he was arrested and reportedly tortured while in military detention, an allegation the government denies. During his 2021 presidential campaign, Wine’s rallies were repeatedly disrupted by police, resulting in clashes where dozens of his supporters were killed or injured.
Wine’s rising popularity, particularly among Uganda’s youth, poses a significant challenge to Museveni’s long-standing rule. Many young Ugandans are drawn to Wine’s grassroots background and his outspoken criticism of government corruption and human rights abuses. Museveni’s government, however, denies stifling opposition voices and maintains that all actions taken against Wine and his supporters are in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department spokesperson expressed concern, stating, “Violence against opposition voices means the democratic space continues to shrink in Uganda.”
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