Uganda’s long-serving President, Yoweri Museveni, has secured a fresh five-year term after being declared winner of Thursday’s presidential election, extending his nearly four decades in power.
According to results announced by the Electoral Commission, Museveni polled 72 per cent of the vote, defeating his closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who garnered 25 per cent.
Museveni, 81, first came to power in 1986 as a rebel leader after a protracted bush war. Since then, he has won seven previous elections, consolidating his position as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old former pop star turned opposition politician, rejected the outcome, describing the results as “fake” and alleging widespread ballot stuffing. He has not provided evidence to support the claims, and the authorities have yet to respond directly to the allegations.
Wine has called on Ugandans to engage in non-violent protests, even as the post-election environment remains tense.
The election period was marred by violence and heavy security deployment, with Wine claiming that at least 21 people were killed in election-related incidents across the country in recent days. Authorities, however, have confirmed seven deaths.
Since Tuesday, access to the internet and social media platforms has been shut down nationwide, severely limiting the flow of information and making independent verification of events difficult.
The government said the blackout was imposed to prevent the spread of misinformation, election fraud and the incitement of violence. The move has drawn criticism from international observers, with the United Nations human rights office describing the shutdown as “deeply worrying.”
Wine has demanded the immediate restoration of internet services.
Tensions escalated overnight when Wine’s party claimed he had been abducted from his home in the capital, Kampala – a claim the police denied.
Wine later posted on Facebook that he had evaded a night-time raid by security forces and had gone into hiding, after earlier stating that he was under house arrest.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said Wine’s movements were restricted because his residence had been designated an area of “security interest.”
“We have controlled access to areas which are security hotspots,” Rusoke was quoted by the Daily Monitor as saying. “We cannot allow people to use some places to gather and cause chaos.”
Despite repeated allegations of electoral irregularities, Museveni’s government has insisted the election was conducted in line with the law, while opposition figures and rights groups continue to raise concerns over political freedoms, security force conduct and the broader democratic space in Uganda.
