Top Headlines

Feeds

Minority Reports

Unique coverage by outlet

Museveni Secures Seventh Term Amid Low Turnout, Tech Failures, and Opposition Dispute

Updated (15 articles)

Museveni clinches roughly 72% of votes with historic low turnout Official tallies place President Yoweri Museveni at 71.6‑72 percent of the vote while voter participation hovers around 52 percent, the lowest level since Uganda’s return to multiparty politics in 2006 [2][3][5]. The result extends his four‑decade rule and mirrors earlier elections where he captured roughly 70‑74 percent of ballots [4][1]. Turnout figures are consistently reported across outlets, underscoring a broad consensus on the election’s quantitative outcomes.

Bobi Wine garners about a quarter of votes and rejects results as fraudulent Opposition leader Bobi Wine receives 24‑25 percent of the vote, a distant second, and immediately denounces the count as “fake,” alleging ballot‑stuffing and coercion [1][2][3][4][5]. He urges non‑violent protests, calls for peaceful demonstrations, and after a security raid on his home, goes into hiding to avoid arrest [1][4][5]. No detailed evidence of irregularities is presented, but his refusal to file a court petition reflects a lack of confidence in the judiciary [1].

Biometric machines fail, prompting paper backups and a nationwide internet blackout Voting day sees widespread malfunction of biometric voter‑identification devices, delaying polls in Kampala and other urban areas; officials revert to paper registers to record votes [3][5]. Concurrently, authorities impose a multi‑day internet shutdown, citing misinformation concerns, while the African Union observer mission reports no ballot‑stuffing evidence but urges pre‑emptive testing of technology [1][3][5]. The UN human‑rights office labels the blackout “deeply worrying,” highlighting tension between security measures and civil liberties [5].

Violence and intimidation accompany the post‑election environment Government statements confirm seven opposition supporters killed in police actions and Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba threatens 22 additional opposition figures, demanding Wine’s surrender within 48 hours or face outlaw status [1][2][4]. Security raids on Wine’s residence and reports of house arrests illustrate an increasingly hostile climate for dissenters [1][5]. These incidents, coupled with the election’s procedural flaws, fuel domestic and international criticism of Uganda’s democratic process.

Sources (5 articles)

Stories about this story (12 stories)

Social media (6 posts)

All related articles (15 articles)

External resources (16 links)