Uganda's 'Bobi Wine' Survives Second Assassination Attempt

KAMPALA, Uganda

Uganda opposition Presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, yesterday suspended his campaigns after police shot one of his aides and wounded a police bodyguard identified as Wilfred Kato Kubai.  

Bobi’s right-hand man Daniel Oyerwot, aka Dan Magic, survived with mutilated lips as police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse Bobi Wine’s supporters at Kyampisi Trading Centre, Kayunga District.  

The injured were rushed to Nazigo Health Centre III before they were moved to Mulago National Referral Hospital for better management.

Bobi Wine’s car was also shot at as he attempted to bypass a military blockade as he arrived in Jinja City for his second rally. 

In the first 21 days of presidential campaigns, opposition candidates and their supporters have stared defiantly into barrels of the gun, and at death every day, as hordes of armed policemen and soldiers continue to follow them at every turn, breaking up rallies deemed to run counter to the Covid-19 rules limiting gatherings to 200 people.

Candidates have been blocked from main roads; towns, campaign venues, booked TV and radio programmes and hotels.

At the old Nile Bridge, police and army personnel who had been heavily deployed diverted him towards Budondo Village where he was set to address his supporters.  

Kyagulanyi is seen here helping his police bodyguard identified as Wilfred Kato Kubai who sustained injuries from Uganda police forces

But after the diversion, Kyagulanyi tried to use force to access Jinja City through one of the roads that had been blocked by police and the army. The army instantly shot his car tyres and shattered the windscreen. 

In the midst of the fracas, Kyagulanyi and his supporters kept yelling at security for blocking his campaign meetings. 

Kyagulanyi, who is running for presidency on National Unity Platform (NUP) party ticket, told journalists in Kayunga that he was compelled to suspend his campaigns as a protest against “the continued brutality and killing of his supporters.”  

The NUP leader has accused the Justice Simon Byabakama-led Electoral Commission (EC) of keeping silent even as police continue to target his supporters.

He asked his supporters to remain calm and indicated that he would seek a meeting with EC today to discuss the way forward. 

“We have been brutalised and killed but the EC has continuously remained silent on these matters. Do they want me killed before they come out? Are they even in charge of this election or they are hoodwinking Ugandans?” Kyagulanyi said shortly after the Jinja shooting. 

He added: “Over 100 people were killed two weeks ago during the riots, although the government only mentioned 54. I was abducted at the nomination centre right in front of EC, my campaigns have been blocked and just yesterday, five people were killed. In all this, EC has been quiet. Tomorrow we shall go and face them and demand for these answers.” 

Yesterday’s shootings in Kayunga and Jinja came exactly five days after EC wrote to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Martins Okoth Ochola, asking him to stop blocking presidential candidates and indicated that they have a right to move and access the designated campaign venues, and hold their campaign meetings, in compliance with the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as issued by the Commission.

Paul Bukenya, the acting EC spokesperson, told reporters last evening that the EC had seen images of the confrontation between police and Kyagulanyi and that they were ready to receive his complaints. 

Bobi’s right-hand man Daniel
Oyerwot, aka Dan Magic, survived with
mutilated lips as police fired teargas
and rubber bullets

“Kyagulanyi is a registered candidate and he is free to come and express himself on any issues as long as he is not comfortable. It is unfortunate that the police are acting this way but our means have always been on engaging the stakeholders,” Bukenya said. 

Bobi Wine had early at 7.30am set off from his Magere home in Wakiso District to head to Kayunga District for his campaign through Gayaza Road. His cars were followed by boda bodas and supporters chanting freedom songs as well as NUP slogans. 

About 200 metres away from Nakifuma in Mukono District, teargas and bullet started flowing as police battled NUP supporters. Police dispersed the supporters but they quickly regrouped.

Daudi Hiriga Were, the Kiira Region police commander, who headed the operation, said Bobi Wine had flouted their orders to follow certain routes which led the of police to fire teargas at the supporters. 

“We have been directing him to use certain roads, which he refused to comply with and as police, we have to swing into action,” Higira said. 

“If there were four presidential candidates like Kyagulanyi in this presidential race, no police or army officer would remain in the barracks,” a Bobi Wine follower on the campaign trail said when interviewed for this story.

That statement sums up the military- siege situation Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and other candidates have had to navigate since they were nominated in November to challenge President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s 35-year grip on power. Before Bobi Wine was nominated on November 3, dozens of army, the police and Local Defense Unit personnel besieged his Magere home in Kasangati town council Wakiso district.