Kampala, Dec. 7 — Uganda’s opposition leader and presidential candidate Bobi Wine has accused security forces of assaulting him and several of his supporters during a campaign stop in the northern city of Gulu, marking a sharp escalation in political violence ahead of the January 15 presidential election.
Wine, a pop star turned politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is making his second attempt to unseat President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades.
In a series of posts on his X account late Saturday, Wine said he was struck in the face with a cane while approaching a campaign venue. He claimed that his aides and supporters were also beaten, with several requiring hospital treatment.
“Criminals in police and military uniform attacked us with sticks and stones and started beating up our people,” he wrote. “One of the thugs hit me with a stick on the face… several comrades are hospitalised. All this because Museveni is dead scared of the people.”
Wine also shared photos of an aide with a bleeding head wound and said his campaign equipment, including a public address system, was vandalised. A video he posted appeared to show uniformed officers beating people with sticks as chaos unfolded near the rally site.
Military spokesperson Chris Magezi rejected Wine’s accusations, alleging that the opposition candidate and his supporters had violated campaign rules.
“Security forces are there to make sure everyone follows the law,” Magezi said, adding that Wine’s group was part of an “illegal procession” and continued campaigning beyond the permitted hours.
A police spokesperson did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The incident comes amid rising tensions across Uganda as the election approaches. Opposition groups have repeatedly accused the Museveni government of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation, harassment, and arbitrary arrests targeting political opponents.
Earlier this week, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned what he described as an “intensifying crackdown” on Uganda’s opposition and civil society. Türk said at least 550 members and supporters of Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) have been detained this year alone.
The latest confrontation underscores the increasingly volatile political environment in Uganda, where protests, arrests, and violent clashes between opposition supporters and security forces have become frequent features of the campaign season.
