3 Ugandan journalists wounded for the duration of law enforcement scuffle with Bobi Wine supporters

KAMPALA (Reuters) – Ugandan police claimed three neighborhood journalists ended up hospitalised on Sunday soon after sustaining accidents when officers employed teargas to disperse supporters of presidential candidate and pop star Bobi Wine.

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FILE Picture: Wine attends the 1st Once-a-year “Time 100 Up coming” gala in New York

Wine, whose authentic name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has emerged as the strongest challenger from President Yoweri Museveni, 76, in the country’s presidential election owing on Jan. 14. He stated just one of people injured was in a “essential issue”.

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Police spokesman Fred Enanga mentioned supporters of Wine experienced gathered on Sunday in Masaka, 125 km southwest of the cash Kampala. Wine experienced attended a church service in the town, according to a tweet on his official account.

Masaka is a person of 11 areas exactly where campaigning has been suspended due to coronavirus dangers – though authorities critics say the true explanation is the opposition’s popularity in these parts.

Enanga stated the supporters have been “a violent group” but gave no further facts on what they have been carrying out.

“Teargas was utilized to quell the violence. The journalists were regrettably caught up during the course of action of dispersing the violent team,” he mentioned.

He stated a single of the journalists, from regional tv station Ghetto Television, sustained a significant injury previously mentioned his still left eye “allegedly from a (teargas) canister”.

Ashraf Kasirye was hospitalised at Masaka Referral Healthcare facility then transferred to Kampala, he claimed.

“He is in a essential problem,” Wine later on wrote on Twitter of Kasirye’s injury. “We are hoping against hope that he will reside.”

All three journalists who ended up injured were being sporting bulletproof vests and helmets marked “Press”, nearby reporter Culton Scovia Nakamya of BBS Television set advised Reuters.

(Reporting by Andrew Bagala Producing by Maggie Fick Modifying by Alison Williams)