Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has been re-elected to a seventh term, the country’s electoral commission has announced, after a tense campaign marked by an opposition crackdown and internet blackout.
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Museveni, 81, won with 71.65 percent of the vote, the commission said on Saturday. He defeated his main challenger, 43-year-old Bobi Wine, who received 24.72 percent of the vote, according to the official results.
Bobi Wine, a singer-turned-politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has rejected the outcome of the election, describing the results as “fake” and urging his supporters to disregard them.
A spokesman for his opposition party, the National Unity Platform, told the AFP news agency on Saturday that the results were “a sham.”
Wine 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.
He reiterated his “complete rejection” of the election outcome, insisting that the results had “zero backing.”
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.
“Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest. I know that these criminals are looking for me everywhere, and I am trying my best to keep safe,” he said.
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.
Museveni’s widely expected victory comes after an election campaign that the United Nations said was marred by “widespread repression and intimidation,” including a crackdown on opposition rallies.
Thursday’s election also unfolded amid a nationwide internet blackout that drew international criticism.
During this campaign, Bobi Wine’s rallies were repeatedly interrupted by security forces firing tear gas and bullets. At least one person was killed in the violence and hundreds of opposition supporters were arrested.
Election observers said on Saturday they saw no evidence of ballot stuffing but denounced “reports of intimidation, arrest and abductions” targeting the opposition and civil society.
That “instilled fear and eroded public trust in the electoral process,” said former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who was representing election observers from the African Union and other regional bodies.
Jonathan told reporters that the internet shutdown “disrupted effective observation” of this week’s vote and “increased suspicion” but that the overall conduct of the polls on Election Day was “peaceful.”
The Ugandan opposition said at least 10 people were killed by police in an attack on a local opposition lawmaker’s home in the town of Butambala, about 55km (35 miles) southwest of Kampala.
Local authorities put the death toll at seven, with police alleging that machete-wielding opposition “goons” attacked a police station and vote-tallying centre.
AFP reported a heavy police presence around the capital, Kampala, on Saturday, as the authorities have sought to prevent any possible protests.
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has been accused of overseeing a years-long crackdown on his political opponents.
Museveni’s victory was long viewed as a formality, as the former rebel fighter has total control over the state and security apparatus. Since taking office four decades ago, he has changed the constitution twice to remove age and term limits.
His governing party, the National Resistance Movement, also had a commanding lead in parliamentary seats, according to provisional results. Ballots were still being counted.
Yet despite the controversy, many Ugandans still praise the longtime leader as the man who ended Uganda’s post-independence chaos and oversaw rapid economic growth in the country.
“I’m really very happy to see he’s won,” said Isaac Kamba, a 37-year-old teacher at a pro-government rally in a Kampala cricket ground. “The victory comes because of his hard work, dedication and commitment to the people of Uganda,” he told AFP.
The news agency said the mood at the rally was less than jubilant, however, with a presenter at one point ordering the crowd to be more animated if they wanted to receive the free food.
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