Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was injured in the leg during a confrontation with a uniformed police officer, his personal assistant told the BBC.
According to Najja Ssenyonjo, the pop star turned politician is believed to have been shot and is currently receiving treatment at Nsambya Hospital in the capital Kampala.
He said the incident occurred while Bobi Wine was on his way to meet his lawyers in Bulindo, which is about 20 kilometres north of the town.
According to a police statement, officers at the scene reported that the opposition leader stumbled as he got into his vehicle.
An investigation would be launched to clarify the facts, the statement said.
The X account of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, first broke the news by saying: “@HEBobiwine was shot in the leg by police in Bulindo.”
Images have been shared on social media by journalist Solomon Serwanjja, who was at the scene. The footage shows the 42-year-old opposition leader being helped out of a building with a bleeding wound to his left shin.
“We only heard bullet sounds during the fight so it is up to doctors to confirm that, but for now we think it is a bullet,” Mr Ssenyonjo told the BBC.
According to the police, Bobi Wine had attended an event in Bulindo and afterwards ‘he and his team got out of their cars and started a procession to Bulindo town.
“However, the police advised against it. Despite their advice, he insisted on continuing… closing the road, which led to police intervention to prevent the procession.
“During the ensuing fight, he reportedly sustained injuries,” the statement said.
Bobi Wine was first elected to parliament in 2017 and ran against President Yoweri Museveni in the 2021 election, which was marked by state repression.
He is popular among young people and has been arrested and beaten up several times.
The country’s security forces have a long history of persecuting political opponents of President Museveni, who has been in power for nearly 40 years.
Additional reporting by the BBC’s Swaibu Ibrahim in Kampala.
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