Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of Thursday’s presidential election, extending his four decades in power by another five years after securing 72 per cent of the vote, according to the electoral commission.
His closest challenger, opposition leader Bobi Wine, received 25 per cent but rejected the outcome, condemning what he described as “fake results” and “ballot stuffing”, allegations for which he has provided no evidence and to which authorities have yet to respond.
Wine, a 43-year-old former pop star, has called on Ugandans to hold non-violent protests, while Museveni, 81, who first came to power as a rebel leader in 1986, claimed his seventh electoral victory as turnout stood at 52.5 per cent, with six other candidates each polling less than two per cent.
The election was marred by reports of violence and heavy security measures, with Wine alleging that at least 21 people had been killed in recent days, while authorities have confirmed seven deaths, amid an internet blackout imposed since Tuesday that the government said was to prevent misinformation and violence but which the UN human rights office described as “deeply worrying”.
Wine has demanded the restoration of internet access and said he evaded a night-time raid by security forces and was in hiding, after earlier claiming he was under house arrest, a situation police have not confirmed, though spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said his movements were restricted because his home was a “security interest”.
While Museveni argued during the campaign that he remains the guarantor of stability in Uganda, Wine positioned himself as the voice of the country’s youth, promising sweeping reforms and an end to corruption, as opposition groups accused security forces of intimidation and disruption, allegations the police dismissed as unfounded.