WAKISO: The Ugandan presidential candidate known as Bobi Wine wears a flak jacket and helmet while campaigning to protect himself from gunfire. But the safety gear offers no protection from the stinging clouds of tear gas that often follow him on the campaign trail.
Wine is challenging President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 by repeatedly rewriting the rules to stay in power.
Term and age limits have been scrapped, rivals jailed or sidelined, and state security forces are a constant presence at opposition rallies as Museveni seeks a seventh term in elections on Jan. 15.
Wine, a musician-turned-politician whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, faced similar setbacks in 2021, when he first ran for president. He was often roughed up by the police, clothes ripped from his body, and dozens of his supporters were jailed.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, he charged that this time “the military has largely taken over the election” and that at least three of his supporters have been killed in violent campaign events.
“It has been very violent. There’s been a lot of impunity to the extent that we are denied the right to use the public roads,” he said. “We are hounded by security and followed by over 40 police and military cars.” agencies