Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of Uganda’s presidential election, officials said, securing a seventh term in office with 71 per cent of the vote.
The announcement came on Saturday from the country’s electoral commission.
Museveni, 81, has been in power for 40 years. His main challenger, musician-turned-politician Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, of the National Unity Platform party, received 24 per cent of the vote.
Bobi Wine has rejected the official results, calling them “fake” and urging supporters to ignore them. He alleged “massive ballot stuffing” and said his party’s polling agents were abducted to give an advantage to Museveni’s National Resistance Movement.
On Saturday morning, Wine said that security forces raided his home on Friday night. He described power being cut off, CCTV cameras disabled, and helicopters hovering above the property. He said he had managed to escape, but his wife and other family members remained at the house on the outskirts of Kampala.
Police said Wine was free to leave his home but that access to the property was controlled. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said the measure was intended to prevent the premises being used to incite violence.
The election itself faced logistical issues. Voting was delayed at several polling stations because materials arrived late. Some biometric machines also malfunctioned, affecting the voting process.
Security forces were widely deployed during the campaign. Wine said authorities monitored his movements, harassed his supporters, and used tear gas against them. He conducted his campaign wearing a flak jacket and helmet, citing safety concerns.
The electoral commission has not indicated any plan to investigate the complaints of fraud. International observers are yet to issue a full assessment of the vote.