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

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s leading opposition figure Bobi Wine was shot in the leg in a confrontation with police Tuesday just outside the capital, Kampala, his group said.

Photos posted online showed Bobi Wine surrounded by followers who yelled that he had been shot in the leg before some supported him into a waiting car.

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 the outskirts of Kampala.

It was not immediately clear whether Wine was targeted with a live bullet or a tear gas projectile. Images shared by his close associates showed a bleeding wound below the left knee.

Ugandan police said in a statement that Wine was 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.”

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

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.

Wine ran for president in 2021, losing to President Yoweri Museveni in an election he claimed was rigged against him. Wine was 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.

Since becoming a potent 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.

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

Museveni, a U.S. ally on regional security for many years, has held power since 1986 and had the constitution amended to remove the age limit for presidents. Now 79 years old, 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.