Uganda’s prominent opposition leader Bobi Wine was shot in the leg by security agents on Tuesday in a northern suburb of the capital, Kampala, according to his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP). Wine, born Robert Kyagulanyi, is a former pop star who gained political prominence as a formidable challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades. In the 2021 presidential election, Wine finished as the runner-up to Museveni.
The shooting incident occurred as Wine and his team were reportedly blocked by police while attempting to march down a road. According to the police, “officers had attempted to block Wine and his team from marching down a road, resulting in an altercation where Wine sustained injuries.” They stated that Wine “stumbled while getting into his vehicle, causing the injury.” However, Wine and his team maintain that he was deliberately shot. “Security operatives have made an attempt (on his life). He was shot in the leg and seriously injured,” the NUP said in a post on the X platform.
This evening as our President returned from Bulindo in Kira Municipality where he had gone to check on one of our lawyers, Musisi George, the police and military under the command of one Twesigye surrounded our vehicles and started firing live bullets, teargas canisters and other… pic.twitter.com/PCfnM1cCoe
— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) September 3, 2024
A video widely circulated on social media shows Wine being assisted out of the Najeem Medical Centre in the Bulindo neighborhood, with visible wounds on his left leg and evident pain. The NUP condemned the shooting as a “cowardly action” and a continued attempt on Wine’s life. NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya emphasized, “We condemn this cowardly action; yet another attempt on his life. The continuing violence meted out on those opposed to the Museveni regime must be condemned by all people of good conscience.”
In addition to his political efforts, Wine’s film, Bobi Wine: The People’s President, has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 2024 Oscars in the U.S. His growing support among Uganda’s youth is attributed to his inspirational rise from a ghetto-born pop star to a leading political figure and his outspoken criticism of Museveni’s government.
Museveni’s administration has faced accusations of suppressing political opposition, a claim the President denies. The ongoing violence and alleged harassment against opponents underscore the tense political climate in Uganda.
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