President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of Uganda’s presidential election, securing another five-year term and extending his rule of the East African nation to nearly four decades.
The Electoral Commission announced that Museveni polled 72 per cent of the votes cast in Thursday’s election, comfortably ahead of his main rival, opposition leader Bobi Wine, who scored 25 per cent.
The result was swiftly rejected by Wine, a 43-year-old former music star, who described the outcome as fraudulent and accused authorities of subverting the will of the people. He urged his supporters to engage in peaceful protests to oppose what he called an illegitimate process.
Museveni, 81, first came to power in 1986 after leading a guerrilla war and has since dominated Uganda’s political space, winning seven elections.
The election was conducted amid heightened tension, with reports of violence and intimidation in several parts of the country. Wine claimed that at least 21 people were killed in election-related incidents, although the government has acknowledged seven deaths so far.
Controversy also surrounded a nationwide internet shutdown imposed days before the vote. Authorities said the blackout was intended to prevent the spread of misinformation and maintain security, but the move attracted international condemnation.
The United Nations human rights office described the internet restriction as “deeply worrying,” while Wine demanded its immediate lifting, insisting that a free and fair electoral process requires open communication.
With the opposition contesting the results and public anger simmering, Uganda now faces a tense political atmosphere as calls for peaceful resistance grow.
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