By Anietie Anii-Bassey
Uganda’s presidential election on Thursday was marred by widespread delays at polling stations and a nationwide internet shutdown that critics say undermined transparency and deepened concerns about democratic backsliding in a country ruled by the same leader for nearly four decades.
Voting was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m., but many polling stations across the country opened hours late, with some remaining closed for as long as four hours. The Electoral Commission attributed the disruptions to “technical challenges,” including malfunctioning biometric voter identification machines and the late arrival of election materials.
Officials instructed polling officers to revert to paper-based voter registers to prevent eligible voters from being turned away.
The delays sparked frustration among voters, particularly in urban areas where long queues formed outside polling centers. In Kampala, the capital, impatient crowds gathered as hours passed without voting beginning.
Umaru Mutyaba, a polling agent for a parliamentary candidate, said the situation was deeply aggravating for voters who had rearranged their schedules to cast ballots. “We can’t be standing here waiting to vote as if we have nothing else to do,” he said.
President Yoweri Museveni, 81, is seeking another term against seven challengers, including Robert Kyagulanyi, the opposition leader and former pop star widely known as Bobi Wine.
Uganda, a nation of about 45 million people, has 21.6 million registered voters. Polls were due to close at 4 p.m., with final results constitutionally required to be announced within 48 hours.
As voting slowly got underway, Kyagulanyi accused authorities of orchestrating electoral malpractice. He alleged that biometric machines were deliberately disabled in opposition strongholds and claimed there were instances of ballot stuffing.
In a message posted on social media before access to the platforms was cut, he said several senior members of his political movement had been arrested, while polling agents and supervisors were abducted or chased away from stations.
“Our leaders are being arrested, our polling agents abducted, and others forced off polling stations,” Kyagulanyi wrote, alleging a coordinated effort to tilt the vote.
Museveni acknowledged that biometric machines had failed at some polling locations and said he supported the Electoral Commission’s decision to fall back on manual voter records. He did not directly address allegations of fraud.
Opposition figures warned that the delays could significantly affect turnout. Ssemujju Nganda, a lawmaker and prominent opposition politician seeking reelection in Kira municipality, said he waited in line for three hours before voting.
He cited equipment failures and logistical problems, predicting that the disruptions would discourage participation in cities, where the opposition traditionally draws strong support. “It’s going to be chaos,” he said.
Political analysts echoed those concerns. Nicholas Sengoba, an independent commentator, said late starts in urban and opposition-leaning areas tended to benefit the ruling party by dampening turnout among younger and working voters.
Uganda has never experienced a peaceful transfer of presidential power since gaining independence from Britain more than 60 years ago. Museveni, who first took power in 1986, is already one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders and is seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade.
Critics argue that his hold on power has increasingly relied on the military, which is led by his son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, fueling fears of dynastic succession.
Thursday’s vote revisited a rivalry that dominated the previous election in 2021, when Kyagulanyi galvanized young, urban voters with calls for sweeping political change. In that contest, Museveni won with 58% of the vote to Kyagulanyi’s 35%, the president’s narrowest margin in decades. Turnout stood at 59%.
The election was held under a cloud of heightened security and curtailed civic space. The government ordered a nationwide internet shutdown beginning Tuesday, citing concerns about misinformation, incitement and electoral fraud.
The blackout disrupted daily life and critical services, including banking and mobile money transactions, and drew condemnation from civil society groups who described it as an attempt to limit scrutiny and silence dissent.
Security forces were heavily deployed in the days leading up to the vote, with soldiers and police visible on major streets, particularly in Kampala. Human rights groups accused authorities of using intimidation and violence against the opposition during the campaign.
Amnesty International cited a late-November rally in eastern Uganda where security forces allegedly blocked exits and fired on supporters, killing one person.
Museveni, speaking at his final campaign rally, urged voters to turn out in large numbers and issued a stark warning to anyone who might attempt to disrupt the process. “Anybody who tries to interfere with your freedom will be crushed,” he said, pledging to maintain order.
The Electoral Commission’s chairperson, Simon Byabakama, appealed for calm and restraint as voting proceeded. He called on citizens to respect one another’s political choices and allow all voters to exercise their constitutional rights peacefully.
Meanwhile, the political environment remained tense. Authorities suspended the activities of several civic organizations during the campaign period, including a prominent media watchdog that shut its offices after the interior ministry accused it of activities deemed harmful to national security.
Veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential contender, remained in detention after being charged with treason earlier this year.
As Ugandans cast their ballots amid delays, security patrols and restricted communications, many questioned whether the election would ease the country’s long-running political tensions or reinforce concerns about the durability of democratic institutions under one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents.
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