Uganda singer-turned-politician, Bobi Wine was reportedly arrested, “beaten” and “tortured” by security agencies in the country minutes after registering his candidacy to challenge President Yoweri Museveni in next year’s presidential election.

The 38-year-old opposition MP whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi was leaving the Kyambogo University cricket grounds in Kampala on Tuesday, where he had gone to submit his nomination papers to election officials before the incident occurred.

Speaking in a telephone chat with AFP, Wine said he was held for several hours in a police van and was “tortured” before the officers who had driven him home finally left while remaining heavily deployed in his neighbourhood.

“The torture, the beating took place in the police vehicle where I was detained for close to three hours,” Wine said.

“They sprayed me with tear gas … hot metal was placed in my hands, I have scars all over, my whole body hurts.”

National Unity Party secretary-general David Lewis Rubongoya told AFP that when Wine was taken home, “police, supported by the army, fired tear gas to disperse supporters”.

The army and police then took over the residence and closed the road leading to it, Rubongoya said.

The singer has faced repeated arrests since going into politics.

In August 2019, he announced his intention to run for president so as to challenge President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 34 years.