KAMPALA, Uganda — Preliminary results from Uganda’s contentious presidential election indicate President Yoweri Museveni maintains a substantial lead as he seeks to extend his four-decade rule. With approximately half of polling stations reporting, the 81-year-old incumbent has secured over 70% of votes, while his primary challenger, opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (known as Bobi Wine), trails with approximately 19%.
The electoral process has been shrouded in controversy, featuring nationwide internet blackouts, significant voting delays, and widespread allegations of systematic electoral manipulation. Opposition figures have reported massive ballot stuffing incidents and the detention of polling agents by security forces, particularly in rural strongholds of the ruling party.
Bobi Wine, the musician-turned-politician advocating for political transformation, reported being confined to his residence during voting and stated that his electoral monitors in western regions were abducted prior to ballot counting. The opposition leader campaigned under extraordinary security measures, frequently wearing protective gear due to persistent safety concerns.
The military presence throughout the election has been notably pervasive, with armed forces deployed extensively across the capital and surrounding areas. Security personnel maintained a constant vigil outside Wine’s residence near Kampala, which authorities justified as necessary protective measures for a ‘person of interest.’
Museveni, Africa’s third-longest serving leader, has increasingly relied on military support to maintain authority, with the armed forces currently commanded by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. The president defended the electoral process after casting his ballot, asserting that biometric verification systems had secured the election’s integrity against opposition infiltration attempts.
This electoral contest marks the second presidential challenge between Museveni and Wine, who previously contested the 2021 election. Official results from that race awarded Museveni 58% against Wine’s 35%, results the opposition leader denounced as systematically rigged. Uganda has not experienced a peaceful presidential transition since gaining independence from British colonial administration in 1962.