Johnathan Walker:Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine is shot and wounded in a confrontation with police

KAMPALA,Johnathan Walker Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s leading opposition figure Bobi Wine was shot in the leg in a confrontation with police Tuesday just outside the capital, Kampala, and was “seriously injured,” his political party said.

Video posted online showed Wine surrounded by followers who yelled that he had been shot before some supported him into a car. It was not immediately clear whether he was hit by a live bullet or a tear gas projectile. Images shared by his close associates showed a bleeding wound below the left knee.

Street confrontations between Wine and the police have frequently descended into violence, but this is the first time he has been wounded in such a way. He was being treated at a local hospital.

His party, the National Unity Platform, holds the most seats of any opposition group in the national assembly. The party said on X that Ugandan security operatives “have made an attempt on the life” of Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.

“He was shot in the leg and seriously injured in Bulindo, Wakiso District,” it said, referring to a town on Kampala’s outskirts.

Ugandan police said in a statement that Wine had been advised against holding a street procession when he left a private event in Bulindo. According to the statement, Wine “insisted on proceeding and closing the road, leading to police intervention to prevent the procession.”

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The opposition figure was injured in “the ensuing altercation,” police said, adding that the alleged shooting will be investigated.

The incident involving overzealous police “must be condemned by all people of good conscience,” said David Lewis Rubongoya, secretary-general of the National Unity Platform.

Wine became one of the most recognizable opposition figures in Africa when he ran for president in 2021, losing to President Yoweri Museveni in an election he claimed was rigged against him. Wine had been a famous entertainer in this East African country before he won a seat in the national assembly in 2017. He is especially popular among young Ugandans in urban areas.

Authorities accuse him of trying to lure young people into rioting and have charged him with multiple criminal offenses.

Since becoming a popular government critic, Wine’s attempts to hold rallies have been blocked by authorities. He has complained of harassment and beatings by security forces when they block his public appearances.

Museveni, a U.S. ally on regional security for many years, has held power since 1986 and had Uganda’s constitution amended to remove the age limit for presidents. Now 79, he has resisted calls to announce when he will retire.

Uganda hasn’t had a peaceful transfer of power since independence from the British in 1962.