Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing a seventh term in office amid widespread allegations of violence, intimidation, and an internet shutdown.
According to the Electoral Commission, Museveni, 81, polled 71.65 per cent of the votes cast in Thursday’s election, defeating his closest rival, opposition leader Bobi Wine, who scored 24.72 per cent. The victory extends Museveni’s grip on power to nearly 40 years.
The poll was overshadowed by reports of insecurity and repression. At least 10 people were reportedly killed, while opposition figures and civil society groups complained of harassment and intimidation during the electoral process.
Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old former musician-turned-politician, said he went into hiding after security forces allegedly raided his home on Friday night. He rejected the election outcome, describing the results as fraudulent.
“I managed to escape from them. I am not at home at the moment, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest,” Wine wrote on X, adding that security operatives were searching for him.
Police, however, denied raiding Wine’s residence, saying they merely restricted access to what they described as security hotspots. Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said authorities were preventing gatherings that could incite violence.
AFP reporters observed a heavy security presence across Kampala, as authorities moved to forestall protests similar to those recently witnessed in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania.
African election observers criticised the pre-election and post-election environment, despite noting that voting day itself was largely peaceful. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who led observer missions from the African Union, COMESA, and IGAD, said reports of arrests, intimidation, and abductions created fear and undermined public confidence in the process.
Jonathan also faulted the internet shutdown, saying it disrupted effective election monitoring and heightened public suspicion.
Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement was also leading in parliamentary races, according to provisional results, with vote counting still ongoing.
Analysts had widely predicted Museveni’s victory, citing his firm control of state institutions and security forces since he seized power in 1986. Over the years, opposition figures have faced repeated crackdowns.
Another prominent opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, remains on trial for treason after being abducted in Kenya in 2024 and returned to Uganda.
Meanwhile, reports of election-related violence persisted. An opposition lawmaker, Muwanga Kivumbi, alleged that security forces killed 10 of his campaign agents during a raid on his home. Police countered the claim, saying clashes occurred when opposition supporters allegedly attempted to attack a tally centre and police station.
The election outcome has once again raised concerns about democratic space and political freedoms in Uganda.
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