“They (police) used a hammer and broke the windows of his vehicle and forcefully dragged him out … they bundled him into their own vehicle and took off,” Joel Senyonyi, spokesman for the NUP party, said, adding he did not know why Wine was arrested.

Police spokesman Luke Owoyesigire said he had yet to receive a briefing on the arrest and promised to comment later.

Wine, 38, a musician turned politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, aims to end Yoweri Museveni’s 34 years in power, making him Africa’s third longest-ruling president. Elections are scheduled for February next year.

Wine’s youthful age and his music have earned him a large following in the relatively young country of 42 million, rattling the ruling National Resistance Movement party and drawing a security crackdown on his supporters.

Since Wine expressed his presidential ambition, police and the military have repeatedly dispersed his rallies, and beaten and detained his supporters.

Museveni was cleared to run in the elections on Monday. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alison Williams and Giles Elgood)