Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has rejected the outcome of Thursday’s presidential election, alleging that the poll was characterised by widespread violence, intimidation and ballot stuffing.
The country’s electoral commission on Saturday declared 81-year-old incumbent President Yoweri Museveni the winner, extending his four-decade rule by another five years. Museveni secured 72 per cent of the votes, while his closest challenger, Wine, polled 25 per cent, according to results cited by the BBC.
Museveni, who first came to power as a rebel leader in 1986, has now won seven presidential elections.
Reacting to the announcement, Wine, a 43-year-old former pop star-turned-politician, claimed that at least 21 people had been killed across the country in recent days, although authorities have officially confirmed seven deaths. He accused security forces of using violence to suppress dissent and called on supporters to engage in non-violent protests against the election result.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Wine said he narrowly escaped a night-time raid by security operatives and was forced into hiding. He had earlier claimed that he was under house arrest.
The police have not confirmed this, but spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said Wine’s movements were restricted because his residence had been designated an area of “security interest”.
“We have controlled access to areas which are security hotspots,” Uganda’s Daily Monitor quoted Rusoke as saying. “We cannot allow people to use some places to gather and cause chaos.”
Internet access has been shut down nationwide since Tuesday, making independent verification of events difficult. Authorities said the blackout was necessary to curb misinformation, electoral fraud and the incitement of violence. However, the move has been condemned by the United Nations human rights office as “deeply worrying”.
Wine has demanded the immediate restoration of internet services.
Meanwhile, the head of the African Union election observer mission, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, urged the Ugandan government to reconsider the suspension of internet access during the electoral period.
Jonathan also condemned reports of “intimidation, arrest and abductions”, warning that such actions had “instilled fear and eroded public trust in the electoral process,” according to AFP.
