By our Reporter
Mr. Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s longest-serving president, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, extending his four-decade grip on power amid strong objections from the opposition.
According to the electoral commission, Museveni, 81, secured 71% of the votes, earning him a seventh term in office after 40 years as president.
His closest challenger, Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, polled 24% of the votes. Wine is the candidate of the National Unity Platform party and a prominent opposition figure.
Wine has rejected the outcome of the election, describing the results as “fake” and urging his supporters to disregard them.
He alleged widespread irregularities, including “massive ballot stuffing,” and claimed that his party’s polling agents were abducted to tilt the process in favour of the ruling National Resistance Movement.
Tension escalated after Wine said security forces raided his residence. In a statement posted on social media, he said that “last night was very difficult at our home” as “the military and police raided us” but that he managed to “escape”.
“They switched off power and cut off some of our CCTV cameras. There were helicopters hovering over,” he said.
“I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them,” he added, noting that his wife and other family members were still at their home on the outskirts of Kampala.
Police, however, denied that Wine was under house arrest. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said Wine was free to leave his home, explaining that there was only “controlled access” to prevent people from using the premises to incite violence.
Wine reiterated his “complete rejection” of the election outcome, insisting that the results had “zero backing”.
