Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine will undergo surgery following a leg injury sustained during a recent altercation, his lawyer announced on Wednesday.
This injury occurred on Tuesday in Bulindo, a town about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Kampala, where Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) initially reported he had been shot.
The prominent critic of President Yoweri Museveni was at a meeting in Bulindo when the incident unfolded.
According to his lawyer, George Musisi, Wine is currently in stable condition but will need surgery to remove debris from a tear gas canister that struck him.
Musisi suggested that the police deliberately targeted Wine.
In the chaotic moments following the event, Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was transported to Nsambya Hospital.
Social media captured distressing images and videos of him in significant pain.
Musisi described the situation, stating that the police indiscriminately fired tear gas at Wine’s supporters, which led to the injury.
The lawyer also criticized the police’s actions and reported that four party supporters were arrested during the incident.
The police have announced an investigation into the shooting allegations and related occurrences.
However, their statement, shared on X, claimed that Wine had actually injured himself while trying to enter his vehicle, contradicting the opposition’s account.
NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi condemned the police’s conduct, explaining that a tear gas canister was fired at close range, hitting Wine’s left leg.
He confirmed that the explosion caused a wound and that bone bruising occurred, though no fracture was reported.
Ssenyonyi added that surgery would be required to extract the remaining fragments from Wine’s leg.
Wine, who has been a vocal critic of Museveni’s nearly four-decade rule, challenged the President in the 2021 elections.
Despite his efforts, Museveni secured a sixth term in office, a result the opposition deemed fraudulent amid reports of intimidation, arrests, and violence.
Wine has faced multiple detentions and his party’s rallies have often been met with forceful crackdowns.
