Yoweri Museveni, 81, has been declared the winner of Uganda’s presidential elections, extending his four-decade tenure as president.
The Electoral Commission announced on Saturday, January 17, 2026, that Museveni secured 71.65% of the vote, totaling 7,944,772 votes, ensuring his seventh term since coming to power in 1986.
His closest challenger, pop star-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, received 24.7% or 2,741,238 votes.
The election was conducted under a government-imposed internet blackout, which began on January 13 and lasted until late Saturday, severely impacting communication and the ability of observers to compile and analyze field reports.
This measure, along with reports of deadly violence and widespread intimidation, has led to significant condemnation from rights groups and international observers.
Bobi Wine, 43, vehemently rejected the results, labeling them “fake” and calling for peaceful protests. He accused authorities of fabricating the outcome and claimed that police raided his home on Friday evening, forcing him to escape.
While police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma stated Wine was not under arrest, he confirmed “controlled access” to Wine’s property to prevent inciting violence. Wine’s party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), initially posted on X that he had been abducted by security forces, a claim later deleted, and subsequently shared a video of Wine urging supporters to protest.
The election process itself faced numerous challenges. Biometric voter identification machines failed on Election Day, causing delays in urban areas, which are typically opposition strongholds.
Electoral officials resorted to hard-copy registers, a move Museveni supported but Wine alleged was part of a broader fraud, including “massive ballot stuffing” and the abduction of his polling agents. The head of the East African Community Observers Mission, Edda Makabagwiza, expressed concern over the internet shutdown’s impact on their operations.
Violence was a recurring theme throughout the campaign and on Election Day. Wine claimed dozens of his supporters were killed by police, including at least 10 monitoring the vote count. Police disputed this, stating seven people were killed after attacking a police station.
Sky News reported seeing “snatch squads” bundling people into armored trucks. The U.S.-based Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a warning about the possibility of “mass atrocities” around the election, citing the intensified authoritarian tactics.
Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, has consistently maintained that his rule has brought stability and economic growth to Uganda. However, critics point to his systematic removal of term and age limits from the constitution, and the jailing or sidelining of potential rivals, such as Kizza Besigye, who remains imprisoned on treason charges.
Uganda has one of the youngest populations globally, with an overwhelming majority under 40, having known only Museveni as president.
The outcome of this election, marked by repression and disputed results, raises significant questions about Uganda’s democratic future and political stability.
Also Read: https://www.kdrtv.co.ke/world/uganda-elections-bobi-wine-sounds-global-alarm-over-stolen-election/
