KAMPALA, Uganda (CU)_Uganda’s Electoral Commission on Saturday (Jan 16), declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the 2021 general elections, securing him a sixth five-year term as president.
“Candidate Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa Kaguta, having obtained the highest number of votes in the election and votes cast in his favor being more than 50 percent of the valid votes cast at the election, the electoral commission declares Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa Kaguta elected president of the republic of Uganda,” Electoral Commission head Simon Byabakama announced on Saturday.
After the announcement, an eerie silence, empty streets and a heavy security presence prevailed.
Officials said Museveni won 58.64 per cent, while opposition frontrunner and presidential candidate of the National Unity Party, Robert Kyagulanyi (better known as Bobi Wine) secured 34.83 per cent of the total votes cast in Thursday’s balloting.
However, opposition leaders, including Wine, rejected the election results, saying they were fabricated. More than 30 election observers were arrested on polling day, and Wine’s house was cordoned off by authorities, as 10 truckloads of military personnel as well as several others in foot patrols could be seen nearby.
Although legislator Francis Zaake, a Wine supporter, was initially given access in to Wine’s house, later he was stopped at the roadblock, pulled out from his car and was beaten before being thrown into a police van.
Newly elected National Unity Platform legislator Joyce Bagala said she followed the van since Zaake could be heard screaming from inside. According to her, Zaake was pulled out of the van at Kasangati police station where they dropped him off. He had been badly beaten.
Nevertheless, Byabakama called on all Ugandans, especially those supporting the losers, to stay calm.
Uganda hasn’t peacefully transferred power since its independence from Britain in 1962. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has had the constitution changed twice, once to remove term limits on presidents and the other to remove age limits for presidents, both which enabled him to legally remain in power.
Therefore, the January 14 election was largely seen by opposition figures as a crucial ‘revolution and referenda vote’, especially with Reggae singer and lawmaker Bobi Wine evolving into the most popular presidential candidate to challenge President Museveni in his 35 years in power.
Several voters expressed their disappointment regarding the election results. They say Museveni should just bar elections if he feels he still wants to be president.
