The National Unity Platform (NUP) party President Robert Kyagulanyi has written to President Yoweri Museveni, formally accepting the latter’s challenge to resolve election rigging claims in court.
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, recently accused the opposition party of rigging the 2021 general election by one million votes, a claim many have found outrageous.
The letter, penned by the NUP leadership, demands that Museveni formally relinquish his immunity to face the court.
“We are taking you up on your challenge,” the letter reads. “But first, you must cede your illegitimately obtained immunity in writing, so we can meet in a court of law.” The NUP insists that the 2021 election was neither free nor fair, claiming Museveni used state machinery to suppress dissent and undermine the will of the Ugandan people.
In a further escalation, NUP has also called for an independent and transparent audit of the 2021 election. The opposition demands the audit be conducted by an international, neutral agency to scrutinize the election process.
“This will give the world the opportunity to see the truth about the will of the people of Uganda,” the letter adds, signaling the party’s confidence in exposing what it claims was mass electoral fraud by Museveni’s regime.
Museveni, who has dismissed similar accusations in the past, faces mounting pressure both at home and abroad over his prolonged stay in power.
NUP’s move is likely to intensify tensions, especially if Museveni declines the challenge or refuses an independent audit. Ugandans, as well as the international community, now await the president’s response.
