Uganda police arrest prominent opposition presidential hopeful Bobi Wine

Ugandan police have arrested Bobi Wine, a popular singer and opposition presidential hopeful who is bidding to unseat Uganda’s long-time leader.

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Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, was dragged from his car by police not long after he was officially nominated as a candidate in presidential elections scheduled for next year.

The local NBS Television, reporting from the scene, said Wine was put into a police van amid violent scuffles between police and his supporters.

A police spokesman did not immediately respond to questions. Authorities frequently accuse Wine of planning rallies that could disrupt public order, which he denies.

File photo of Uganda’s long-time president Yoweri Museveni (left), and his wife Janet Museveni, attending his inauguration ceremony in the capital Kampala, Uganda. (AP)

Critics say President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, increasingly depends on the armed forces to assert his authority.

Museveni was nominated as a candidate for president on Monday.