Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of a seventh term in office following an election marked by reports of violence, arrests and an internet shutdown.
The Electoral Commission said Museveni, 81, secured 71.65 per cent of the votes cast in Thursday’s poll, extending his rule of the East African nation to nearly 40 years. His main challenger, pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, 43, polled 24.72 per cent.
Wine rejected the outcome, describing the results as “fake,” and said he went into hiding after security forces allegedly raided his home on Friday night. In a post on X on Saturday, he said he escaped arrest while his wife and other family members remained under house arrest.
Police denied raiding Wine’s residence but said they had restricted access to areas considered “security hotspots,” insisting the opposition leader was still at home. A heavy security presence was reported around Kampala as authorities moved to prevent protests seen recently in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania.
Witnesses near Wine’s home reported heightened security activity, including drones and helicopters, prompting residents to flee the area. “Many people have left. We have a lot of fear,” a local stall owner told AFP.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has emerged as Museveni’s strongest challenger in recent years, drawing support from urban youth. He accused the government of massive ballot stuffing and of targeting opposition figures during the internet blackout imposed ahead of the polls.
African election observers said they found no evidence of ballot stuffing but condemned reports of intimidation, arrests and abductions targeting opposition members and civil society. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, leading observer missions from the African Union, COMESA and IGAD, said such actions “instilled fear and eroded public trust in the electoral process.”
Jonathan added that the internet shutdown disrupted effective observation and increased suspicion, although he noted that voting on election day was largely peaceful.
Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement also took a commanding lead in parliamentary races, according to provisional results, with vote counting still ongoing.
Analysts had widely viewed the election as a formality, citing Museveni’s tight grip on state institutions and security forces since taking power in 1986. Another long-time opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, remains on trial for treason after being abducted in Kenya in 2024 and returned to Uganda.
There were also conflicting accounts of election-related violence. An opposition lawmaker claimed 10 campaign agents were killed by security forces in central Uganda, while police said an unspecified number of people were neutralised during an alleged attempt to attack a tally centre and police station.
AFP
