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Ugandan Presidential Candidate Fears for Life, Dons Bulletproof Vest

Halima Athumani

   MBARARA, UGANDA - Singer-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi, better
   known as Bobi Wine, has seen his campaign almost turned into a
   battlefield, with gunshots, heavy use of tear gas and beatings of his
   supporters by police.

   Now Wine, leader of the opposition National Unity Platform party, wears
   a bulletproof vest. He says that after three attempts on his life, it
   is clear the government wants to kill him.

   "A grenade was thrown at me in Kayunga," he said. "Our car was shot at,
   all tires flattened, and another shot came through the windscreen. And
   just two days ago again, our car was shot at by the police in uniform.
   In Jinja it was the military; two days ago it was by the police."

   Police and military officials say they are enforcing standard operating
   procedures to protect the public from COVID-19, the disease caused by
   the coronavirus, and that Wine has failed to observe the guidelines.

   Flavia Byekwaso, the Uganda People's Defense spokesperson, says Wine
   does not understand the pandemic has gone beyond controllable levels.

   "The security forces are not sabotaging Kyagulanyi," Byekwaso said.
   "They are only implementing the SOPs [standard operating procedures] to
   make sure that we do not have this pandemic or COVID-19 spreading to
   the population beyond the capacity that we can manage."

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