A section of the opposition has sharply criticized the Uganda Police Force following an incident on Tuesday in Bulindo, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, where National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, was injured.
The altercation occurred as Bobi Wine was returning from a private thanksgiving event organized by the party’s lawyer, George Musisi.
Initial reports suggested that Bobi Wine had been shot, but it was later revealed that he was struck by a tear gas canister, causing a severe wound. Witnesses claim that as Bobi Wine walked towards his car, a crowd of locals began to gather to bid him farewell. The growing crowd reportedly prompted a police response, with officers allegedly firing bullets and tear gas to disperse the people.
The police, however, provided a different version of events. In a statement released on Tuesday, they asserted that Bobi Wine and his team left their vehicles and initiated a procession through Bulindo. Despite police advice to refrain from the procession, they allegedly continued, resulting in police intervention to prevent the gathering. According to the police, Bobi Wine stumbled while getting into his vehicle, causing his injury.
However, tiktok videos circulating social media platforms show the NUP principal walking towards his ride when a teargas cannister explodes in his direction, injuring his left leg in the process.
Opposition leaders have condemned the police’s actions, calling them an example of excessive force and a violation of human rights. Former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye described the incident as a “horrible outcome of totally uncalled-for police aggression against political opposition leaders.”
He explained that injuries were caused by a tear gas ‘grenade’, a weapon that the police allegedly use liberally as a tool of persecution rather than policing.
“The injuries Hon Kyagulanyi suffered are from the Tear Ball Grenades (usually blue coloured), that UPF liberally employs as part of persecution- NOT policing. We condemn the UPF for its continued rampant abuse of Human Rights.” he stated on his official X account
Former Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, also condemned the incident, labeling it a “brutal and high-handed attack” that every right-thinking Ugandan should denounce.
“We pray for Mr. Kyagulanyi’s quick recovery and demand that the police explain this high-handedness,” Mpuuga added.
Veteran politician Ingrid Turinawe echoed these sentiments on her X account, stating, “Whether it’s a bullet, canister, knife, stone, or nail, Bobi Wine or any other Ugandan has the right and freedom to move. This nonsense of tormenting peaceful, unarmed civilians must stop!”
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, detailed the events leading up to the incident, and in response to the police statement claiming that Bobi Wine stumbled and fell while getting into his car, he dismissed the explanation as “ridiculous,” calling the police’s actions brutal and despicable. He further noted that such incidents speak volumes about a regime that resorts to violence against peaceful citizens.
“The X-ray report shows that fragments from the tear gas canister are embedded in his leg, and surgery will be needed to remove them,” Ssenyonyi added.
Bobi Wine is today expected to undergo surgery to remove fragments of the tear gas canister in his leg.
Pictures doing rounds on social media on Wednesday show Bobi Wine lying in a hospital bed, with his left leg heavily bandaged and elevated. He appears to be in a serious but stable condition, connected to medical monitoring equipment, indicating that he is under close medical supervision. His expression suggests discomfort or pain, likely due to the injury sustained from the tear gas canister.
By his side is his wife Barbie Intungo Kyagulanyi. Bobi Wine’s injury, as seen in the images, suggests that the impact from the tear gas canister was significant, requiring extensive medical care.
