Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has emerged victorious after a contentious presidential election campaign marked by an opposition crackdown and internet blackout. The 81-year-old leader secured 71.65% of the vote, defeating his main challenger, Bobi Wine, who garnered 24.72% of the vote.
The United Nations had previously described the election as marred by "widespread repression and intimidation", including a police crackdown on opposition rallies. Additionally, a nationwide internet shutdown took place, drawing international criticism for disrupting effective observation of the polls.
Bobi Wine, the opposition leader, had claimed on social media that ballot stuffing was taking place, while his party's spokesman described the results as "a sham". However, many Ugandans still praise Museveni as the leader who ended Uganda's post-independence chaos and oversaw rapid economic growth.
Despite widespread reports of intimidation, arrests, and abductions targeting opposition figures, election observers noted that there was no evidence of ballot stuffing. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, representing African Union and regional bodies, stated that the internet shutdown "increased suspicion" but overall polling day was peaceful.
In a related incident, at least 10 people were reportedly killed by police in an attack on a local opposition lawmaker's home in Butambala, with authorities citing machete-wielding opposition supporters as the perpetrators. Museveni's victory was widely expected, given his total control over the state and security apparatus, which has allowed him to change the constitution twice to remove age and term limits.
Museveni's governing party holds a commanding lead in parliamentary seats, according to provisional results, with ballots still being counted. The outcome of this election may yet be subject to controversy as some opposition supporters remain skeptical about the legitimacy of Museveni's victory.
The United Nations had previously described the election as marred by "widespread repression and intimidation", including a police crackdown on opposition rallies. Additionally, a nationwide internet shutdown took place, drawing international criticism for disrupting effective observation of the polls.
Bobi Wine, the opposition leader, had claimed on social media that ballot stuffing was taking place, while his party's spokesman described the results as "a sham". However, many Ugandans still praise Museveni as the leader who ended Uganda's post-independence chaos and oversaw rapid economic growth.
Despite widespread reports of intimidation, arrests, and abductions targeting opposition figures, election observers noted that there was no evidence of ballot stuffing. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, representing African Union and regional bodies, stated that the internet shutdown "increased suspicion" but overall polling day was peaceful.
In a related incident, at least 10 people were reportedly killed by police in an attack on a local opposition lawmaker's home in Butambala, with authorities citing machete-wielding opposition supporters as the perpetrators. Museveni's victory was widely expected, given his total control over the state and security apparatus, which has allowed him to change the constitution twice to remove age and term limits.
Museveni's governing party holds a commanding lead in parliamentary seats, according to provisional results, with ballots still being counted. The outcome of this election may yet be subject to controversy as some opposition supporters remain skeptical about the legitimacy of Museveni's victory.
I'm not surprised by Museveni's win, tbh. He's been in power for ages and has a pretty tight grip on things. The internet blackout was a major red flag, but I guess it didn't seem to faze too many people. It's still weird how some Ugandans are so supportive of him despite all the controversy. I mean, 71.65% is crazy! 
What really got me though is that Bobi Wine and his party were super vocal about ballot stuffing, but it seems like there was no evidence to back it up...or maybe they just didn't want to rock the boat? 
The whole thing feels a bit fishy to me.
! But seriously, 71.65% is a huge margin, it's like I'm eating all the chips in the bag – no sharing 
. The internet shutdown was a total bummer, I mean who needs social media to complain about the election results? 
But in all seriousness, it's good that most Ugandans still support Museveni, maybe they're just nostalgic for the 'good old days' when he first took office – you know, like that one aunt at the family reunion 
!
. Bobi Wine put up a good fight, though - 24.72% is no joke 
. On one hand, you gotta give credit to Museveni for the economic growth & stability he's brought Uganda, but on the other hand, it feels like he's got some serious strings attached given his control over security and the state 
. Can't help but wonder what other tricks are up his sleeve 
. Anyway, it's a complex situation, and I'm sure there will be a lot of debate about this election for a while 
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and what about all those internet shutdowns and police crackdowns? that's some serious voter suppression going on. my take is that Museveni might be able to pull off this victory, but it's gonna come at a cost to his reputation and possibly even the stability of the country in the long run 
... no, seriously, it's like Uganda was always gonna go with the old guard. I mean, 71%+ for Museveni is not exactly a landslide 
. It's just another example of how politics can be so... predictable. And sorry, Bobi Wine, but your "ballot stuffing" claims didn't quite fly 
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. But let's not forget about all those opposition figures who got intimidated or worse. It's like, yeah, we get it, Museveni has been in power for a long time... but does he really need to hold onto it so tightly? Griping aside though, it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the results shake out and if anyone gets any real change 
can't they just let people express their opinions online? And those 10 people killed by police were totally innocent, I don't see how opposition supporters could've used machetes... 
still, this is a really concerning election and the international community should be paying closer attention. The fact that they had to intervene at all was pretty wild... 
. It sounds like things got pretty intense, with people getting arrested or even killed over their support for Bobi Wine.
. It's just really frustrating when you see democracy being compromised in these ways.
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honestly i dont think the election was super fair 
considering the internet shutdown and all the arrests on opposition figures 
so im not sure how people are feeling about this whole thing 
we should def keep an eye on how the parliament seats play out too 
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. He's been in power for ages, and it's clear he's got a solid grip on the country. But at what cost? The opposition crackdown and internet blackout are pretty concerning, especially when you consider how many international eyes were on this election 
. I mean, can we really trust the numbers with the shutdown in place? 
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. I guess when you're not exactly living on the edge, you don't have to worry about the same things we do in our country 
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like how did it even come to this? 71% is just too much for me, you know? 
. On the other hand, I guess his economic growth and stability are kinda winning points? 
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. I hope that one day, Uganda will learn to balance stability with freedom and accountability 
. And what's even more worrying is that there are people still being killed for speaking out against the government 
. It's just heartbreaking 
But at the same time, it's worrying that there were reports of intimidation and arrests targeting opposition figures. That kind of thing can really chill people from speaking out or participating in politics. 
And what's up with this internet shutdown? It feels like a major way to stifle dissent and keep people in the dark about what's going on. 
I'm not sure how much credibility the election results have, especially given all the controversy surrounding it. Maybe we'll see some challenges to Museveni's victory down the line? 
The fact that many Ugandans still love Museveni is sad - like, don't get me wrong, he did bring stability after independence, but at what cost? 