Yoweri Museveni has secured a seventh term as president of Uganda with more than 70% of the vote, according to state election authorities. The result was announced amid an internet shutdown and allegations of fraud from his main opponent, Bobi Wine.
Bobi Wine, a musician turned politician, condemned what he called a “fake result” and alleged that members of polling staff were kidnapped. He called for peaceful protests to pressure authorities to release what he described as the “rightful results”. Wine also said he fled his home after security forces raided it, switching off power and cutting CCTV cameras. Ugandan police denied arresting him but said they were restricting the area to prevent unrest.
Election irregularities included the failure of biometric voter ID machines, which delayed voting in urban areas that are opposition strongholds. Electoral officials resorted to manual voter lists, a move Wine claimed allowed for “massive ballot stuffing”. Museveni endorsed the use of the manual register.
Despite the internet shutdown and fraud claims, the election passed largely without major incident, except for a clash between police and opposition supporters in central Uganda. Police said they fired in self-defence after opposition “goons” attacked them, resulting in seven deaths and three injuries. MP Muwanga Kivumbi disputed this, alleging security forces killed ten people in his home.
Museveni, 81, has been in power for 40 years, making him the world’s third-longest-serving non-royal head of state. He has rewritten Uganda’s constitution to remove term and age limits and jailed opposition figures. Rights monitor Freedom House rates Uganda as “not free”, noting its elections are not considered credible. Uganda has not had a peaceful transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1962.
