Ugandan opposition leader campaigns in flak jacket

MUKONO, Uganda (AP) — The Ugandan opposition leader known as Bobi Wine campaigned in the town of Mukono wearing a flak jacket and helmet as soldiers filled the streets of the country’s capital Kampala ahead of a presidential vote.

The safety gear seen in a photo captured Friday by photojournalist Hajarah Nalwadda offers no protection from the stinging clouds of tear gas that often follow Wine on the campaign trail at rallies where security forces are a constant presence.

Wine, a musician-turned-politician whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, is challenging President Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking a seventh term in the Jan. 15 election.

Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986 by repeatedly rewriting the rules to stay in power. Term and age limits have been scrapped and rivals jailed or sidelined.

In a New Year’s Eve address, the president said he recommended security forces use tear gas to break up crowds of what he called “the criminal opposition.”

Wine faced similar setbacks when he first ran for president in 2021. He often was roughed up by the police, clothes ripped from his body, and dozens of his supporters were jailed.