By Blessing Nweke
Polls opened across Uganda on Thursday, but voting was disrupted by widespread logistical delays and an ongoing internet shutdown that has raised concerns about transparency and access to information. In the capital, Kampala, voting had yet to begin at several polling stations an hour after polls were scheduled to open at 08:00 local time, according to News observations.
Election officials attributed the delays to failures in biometric voter identification kits, a problem critics say may be linked to the nationwide internet blackout imposed ahead of voting. The Uganda Communications Commission said the shutdown was intended to prevent misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence, but the move has been condemned by the UN human rights office as “deeply worrying.”
President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades, is seeking a seventh term in office. The election is widely seen as a two-horse race between Museveni and opposition leader Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old singer-turned-politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi. Wine has campaigned on promises to tackle corruption and deliver sweeping reforms, while Museveni portrays himself as the guarantor of stability and economic progress.
The campaign period has been marred by accusations of repression. Opposition supporters, particularly those linked to Wine’s National Unity Platform party, say they have faced arrests, assaults and disruptions of rallies. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has dismissed the claims, accusing opposition supporters of being disruptive. Amnesty International and the United Nations, however, have documented what they describe as escalating harassment and violence against opposition figures.
Security has been visibly tightened in Kampala, with patrols, armoured vehicles and marching officers deployed across the city. Some residents have chosen to vote in rural areas, citing fears of unrest.
Alongside the presidential vote, Ugandans are electing a new 353-seat parliament. For many voters, economic issues dominate, particularly youth unemployment, infrastructure gaps and access to education and healthcare.
Polls are due to close at 16:00 local time, with final presidential results expected by Saturday.
Original article
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