President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of Thursday’s presidential election, securing 72% of the vote and extending his four decades in power by another five years. His closest challenger, former pop star Bobi Wine, received 25% of the vote.
Wine has condemned the results as “fake” and accused authorities of ballot stuffing, although he has provided no evidence, and election officials have not responded to the allegations. He has called on Ugandans to engage in nonviolent protests.
The election was marred by violence. Wine says at least 21 people have been killed across the country in recent days, while official sources have confirmed seven deaths.
Authorities have imposed an internet blackout since Tuesday, citing concerns over misinformation, fraud, and incitement of violence—a move condemned by the UN human rights office as “deeply worrying.” Wine has demanded the restoration of online access.
Overnight, Wine’s party claimed he had been abducted from his Kampala residence. Police denied this, with spokesman Kituuma Rusoke saying Wine’s movements were restricted because his home is in a “security hotspot.” Wine later stated via Facebook that he evaded a nighttime raid and is in hiding.
Museveni, 81, first came to power in 1986 as a rebel leader and has since won seven elections. Wine, 43, ran on a platform promising to tackle corruption and implement reforms, appealing particularly to Uganda’s youth population, which comprises the majority of the country.
Six other candidates contested the election, but none secured more than 2% of the vote. Turnout was 52.5%. During the campaign, opposition activities were reportedly disrupted, with security forces accused of assaulting and detaining Wine’s supporters, claims dismissed by police as politically motivated.
