Who is Bobi Wine and why did his arrest spark violent protests in Uganda?

Sixteen people have been killed in two days of protests in Uganda triggered by the arrest of musician-turned-presidential candidate Bobi Wine.

The deaths occurred during security operations, police said in a statement, adding that a further 65 people had been injured and about 350 arrested.

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, who is better known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a former musician who took Ugandan politics by storm after winning a parliamentary seat in Kyadondo East by a landslide in 2017.

He has been promising to change the lives of youth, downtrodden and those living in slums. After being nominated as a presidential candidate earlier this month, Kyagulanyi promised to fix the economy, health services, and education.

Police arrested Wine, who is hoping to unseat Uganda’s long-time leader, Yoweri Museveni, in the eastern town of Luuka. He was arrested while campaigning in Eastern Uganda

Ugandan police accused him of violating Covid-19 restrictions by hosting a rally with over 200 people.

Supporters immediately took to the streets in the centre of Kampala, the capital, building barricades and lighting tyres.

Earlier this month, he was temporarily blinded by police when he was arrested moments after being successfully certified as a candidate in next year’s election.