Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was hit in the leg with a tear gas canister during a clash with police near Kampala, leaving him seriously injured.
The incident took place on Tuesday in Bulindo, Wakiso District, where he went for a meeting with supporters, his lawyer George Musis told AFP. Video footage showed Wine being helped into a car by supporters. Images also revealed a bleeding wound below his left knee.
He has however been released from the hospital Wednesday after undergoing surgery to remove fragments of the canister, said Kampala Mayor, Erias Lukwago.
Police stated that the clash occurred after Wine defied advice against holding a street demonstration, and an investigation into the shooting is underway.
Wine’s party, National Unity Platform, condemned the event, calling it an attempt on his life. Wine’s Lawyer, Musis, told AFP that it “appears police targeted to harm him” in the incident.
“A tear gas canister was aimed at him, and it exploded, injuring him on the leg,” he said. The lawyer added that the police also arrested four party supporters.
In the 2021 presidential elections, Wine contested against President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has been placed under house arrest many times.
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