By Anietie Anii-Bassey
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of a seventh term in office after electoral authorities announced Saturday that he captured 71.65 percent of the vote in a highly contested election marked by an internet blackout, security crackdowns and allegations of widespread fraud.
The official results showed that Museveni’s main challenger, opposition leader and popular musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine, received 24.72 percent of the vote. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, swiftly rejected the outcome, calling the results fabricated and urging Ugandans to engage in peaceful protests until what he described as the true outcome is announced.
Wine accused authorities of orchestrating an unfair electoral process, alleging that his polling agents were abducted and that large-scale ballot stuffing took place in favor of the ruling party. He said the environment in which the vote was held made a credible election impossible.
In a statement released after the results were announced, Wine said he had gone into hiding to avoid arrest after security forces raided his home late Friday. His political party initially claimed that he had been forcibly taken away in an army helicopter, though police later denied that account.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said Wine was not under arrest and was free to leave his residence, adding that security personnel had only restricted access to the property to prevent gatherings that could incite unrest. According to police, the measures were necessary to maintain public order.
The election has drawn sharp scrutiny over technical failures that disrupted voting, particularly in opposition strongholds. Electoral officials acknowledged that biometric voter identification machines failed in multiple locations on Thursday, causing long delays and preventing polls from opening on time in many urban areas, including Kampala.
After the machines malfunctioned, officials reverted to using paper voter registers, a move that has long been criticized by opposition figures who argue manual systems are more vulnerable to manipulation.
The failure of the biometric equipment is expected to form the basis of potential legal challenges to the results. While Museveni said he supported the decision to fall back on manual registers, Wine insisted that the breakdown created opportunities for fraud and undermined confidence in the process.
The election unfolded under heavy security, with soldiers and police deployed across the country before and during voting. Authorities also ordered an internet shutdown, cutting off social media and messaging platforms, a move critics say was intended to limit communication among opposition supporters and suppress reporting of irregularities.
Museveni, now 81, has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades and has steadily consolidated power by reshaping the political landscape. Constitutional changes eliminated presidential term limits and age limits, clearing the way for him to run indefinitely.
Over the years, several prominent rivals have been jailed, sidelined or forced into exile, and Museveni has remained the unchallenged leader of the ruling party while retaining firm control over the military and security services.
Political analysts say the structural imbalance left the opposition at a severe disadvantage. Yusuf Serunkuma, an academic and political commentator, said Museveni’s dominance of state institutions has effectively neutralized meaningful competition. He argued that despite Wine’s popularity and bold campaign, the odds were heavily stacked against him.
Even so, Wine’s candidacy energized large numbers of young voters who see him as a symbol of generational change in a country where the majority of the population is under 30.
Throughout the campaign, Wine said he and his supporters faced intimidation, surveillance and violent dispersal by security forces. He frequently appeared at rallies wearing a flak jacket and helmet, citing credible threats to his safety.
Uganda has never experienced a peaceful transfer of presidential power since gaining independence from Britain more than 60 years ago, and critics say the latest election reinforces that pattern.
Veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has challenged Museveni four times in past elections, remains in prison after being charged with treason earlier this year, further weakening the opposition camp.
As Museveni begins yet another term, the country faces renewed uncertainty, with opposition supporters questioning the legitimacy of the results and authorities warning against demonstrations.
Wine has repeatedly called on his followers to protest peacefully, framing the moment as a decisive test for Uganda’s democracy and its future direction.