Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, extending his rule to a seventh term and deepening concerns over violence, repression, and the credibility of the vote.
The election was conducted under a government-imposed internet blackout and overshadowed by reports of deadly violence, widespread intimidation, and severe restrictions on opposition activity. Rights groups and observers have condemned the process, citing the shutdown of digital communications, limits on campaigning, and the exclusion of several international election monitors.
On Saturday, following a 48-hour delay after polls closed, Electoral Commission chairperson Simon Byabakama announced that Museveni had secured victory with 71.65% of the vote—7,944,772 ballots cast in his favor. His main challenger, opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP), received 24.7%, totaling 2,741,238 votes.
“Having obtained the highest number of votes in the election, and with votes cast in his favor exceeding 50 percent of the valid votes, the commission hereby declares the elected President: Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni,” Byabakama said.
Museveni, 81, first came to power in 1986 and is now one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. His latest victory has been met with sharp criticism from domestic and international observers who argue the election lacked basic conditions for fairness and transparency.
Bobi Wine, 43, rejected the results and accused authorities of rigging the vote. He said police raided his home late Friday night, forcing him into hiding. In a post on X, Wine said his wife and other family members were under house arrest and claimed security forces were hunting for him.
“Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest,” he wrote. “I know that these criminals are looking for me everywhere, and I am trying my best to keep safe.”
Wine also alleged that dozens of his supporters were killed by police during the election period, including at least 10 who were monitoring the vote count. Police denied the claims, stating that seven people were killed after allegedly attacking a police station.
Concerns were echoed by regional observers. Speaking in Kampala, Edda Makabagwiza, head of the East African Community Observers Mission, criticized the internet shutdown, saying it severely disrupted election monitoring.
“The Uganda Communications Commission issued a directive to suspend public internet access, which had a direct impact on the compilation and analysis of field reports from our observers,” she said.
Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, with most of its roughly 50 million citizens under the age of 40—many of whom have known no other president but Museveni.
A journalist in Kampala, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, described a tense atmosphere in the capital, marked by a heavy military presence. In some neighborhoods, security forces were reportedly forcing businesses to close, while streets remained largely empty as residents stayed indoors amid uncertainty over what comes next.
