On September 4, 2024, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, leader of Uganda’s opposition party National Unity Platform (NUP), was injured in an altercation with police forces in Bulindo, a suburb located 20 kilometers north of Kampala. According to NUP, the 42-year-old politician sustained injuries to his leg during the confrontation, which occurred as he was on his way to meet his legal team.
Initial reports from Bobi Wine’s social media account on platform X (formerly Twitter) claimed that the police had shot him. The post read, “@HEBobiwine was shot in the leg by police in Bulindo.” However, police statements later contradicted this, asserting that Bobi Wine was not shot but rather injured after stumbling while getting into his car.
Eyewitness accounts and footage shared by journalist Solomon Serwanjja on social media showed Bobi Wine bleeding from his left leg as he was carried out of a building. The injury, initially thought to have been caused by a bullet, was later revealed to be from a tear gas canister that had lodged fragments in his leg. Joel Ssenyonyi, the spokesperson for NUP, confirmed that medical scans identified shrapnel from the canister embedded in Bobi Wine’s leg.
Medical professionals at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala informed reporters that Bobi Wine would undergo surgery to remove the fragments. The Ugandan police, in a statement, said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident but emphasized that it was Bobi Wine’s refusal to follow police orders that led to the confrontation.
The police account claims that Bobi Wine and his team participated in an unauthorized march in Bulindo, obstructing traffic despite being advised against it. According to the statement, Bobi Wine’s insistence on leading the march resulted in a clash with the police, during which the politician was injured. The police further alleged that Bobi Wine’s supporters threw stones at officers, injuring three policemen, one of whom was critically wounded. The statement also claimed that two police vehicles were damaged during the skirmish.
NUP officials have vehemently denied the police’s version of events. According to George Musisi, Bobi Wine’s lawyer, the confrontation was unprovoked. He stated that local residents, excited by Bobi Wine’s presence, had gathered to see him, which prompted an aggressive response from the police. “When the crowd gathered, the police opened fire with tear gas and rubber bullets,” Musisi said. NUP also claims that Bobi Wine approached the police officers to inquire about their actions, only to be injured in the ensuing chaos.
Adding to the tension, NUP reported that four of its members were arrested during the confrontation. The party has called for their immediate release and demanded accountability for what it describes as excessive force by the police.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of political repression in Uganda, where opposition figures, particularly Bobi Wine, have frequently been targeted. Since his emergence as a key opposition leader in 2017, Bobi Wine has been arrested, beaten, and harassed numerous times by security forces loyal to President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for nearly four decades. Bobi Wine’s increasing popularity, especially among Uganda’s youth, has made him a focal point of political resistance against Museveni’s regime.
Kizza Besigye, another long-time opposition leader, condemned the police’s actions, calling them a “continuation of the systematic harassment of political opponents in Uganda.” Besigye, who has faced similar treatment over the years, criticized what he described as the government’s ongoing use of the police to suppress dissent.
Bobi Wine’s rise from a pop star to a leading opposition figure has been met with growing state resistance. His 2021 presidential campaign against Museveni was marked by widespread violence, intimidation, and reports of electoral malpractice. Despite his loss in the election, Bobi Wine remains a potent symbol of opposition to Museveni’s nearly 40-year rule. His popularity, particularly among Uganda’s younger population, has only intensified the state’s efforts to quash his political activities.
The Ugandan police have a long history of clamping down on political opposition. Since Museveni took power in 1986, opposition leaders have frequently faced arrest, detention, and violence. The latest incident involving Bobi Wine underscores the fraught political landscape in Uganda and the challenges faced by those who dare to oppose the ruling regime.
As investigations continue into the circumstances of Bobi Wine’s injury, his supporters and political allies remain skeptical of the outcome. NUP has called for an independent investigation, citing concerns over the impartiality of any inquiry led by state-controlled institutions. Meanwhile, the party has renewed its calls for an end to the persecution of opposition figures and the release of all detained members.
