Uganda president, Museveni Secures Another Term as Uganda police deny opposition leader’s arrest in Kampala.

 

Uganda has returned President Yoweri Museveni to office for yet another term after an election that unfolded under heavy security pressure widespread fear and a near total shutdown of digital communication. The announcement on Saturday confirmed what many Ugandans expected long before voting day that the man who has ruled the country for four decades would remain firmly in charge. According to official results released by the Electoral Commission Museveni secured 71.65 percent of the vote in elections held on Thursday. His closest challenger Robert Kyagulanyi better known as Bobi Wine received 24.72 percent. The figures extend Museveni’s grip on power and place him on course to continue ruling well into his eighties.

Museveni is now 81 years old and has led Uganda since 1986. Over the years constitutional changes have removed age and term limits allowing him to contest repeatedly. Supporters describe him as a stabilizing force in a country once battered by coups and civil war. Critics argue that his long rule has hollowed out democratic institutions and turned elections into rituals rather than real contests. This year’s vote was conducted in an atmosphere that many observers say was among the most tense in recent memory. African election monitoring groups reported widespread arrests intimidation and alleged abductions of opposition supporters activists and local organizers. According to these observers the actions of security agencies created an environment of fear that discouraged open political activity especially in urban areas seen as opposition strongholds. Reports from human rights groups and local media indicated that at least ten people were killed during election related incidents. Several others were injured or detained. Families in some neighborhoods said they avoided polling units entirely choosing safety over participation. In other areas soldiers and police were visibly deployed around voting centers adding to the sense that the state was prepared to use force to control the process.

One of the most striking features of the election was the nationwide internet shutdown imposed hours before voting began. Social media platforms messaging services and independent online news sites became inaccessible to most Ugandans. The government justified the move as a security measure but critics said it was designed to prevent real time reporting coordination and scrutiny. For many young Ugandans the blackout felt like being cut off from the world at a critical moment. Mobile money services were disrupted affecting traders and transport workers. Journalists struggled to communicate with editors. Election observers found it difficult to share updates. The silence deepened suspicion and anxiety especially as rumors spread offline without any way to verify them.

At the center of the opposition challenge was Bobi Wine a 43 year old former pop star who turned his fame into political influence. Once celebrated for music that spoke to the frustrations of ordinary people he has become the most prominent face of resistance to Museveni’s rule. His rise has been met with persistent pressure from the state including arrests beatings court cases and restrictions on his movement. Wine first ran for president in 2021 and although he lost that contest he emerged as a serious political force especially among younger voters. Since then his party the National Unity Platform has faced continuous harassment. Party offices have been raided meetings broken up and supporters detained. Several NUP legislators have spoken openly about being followed or threatened. After the latest election Wine rejected the official results outright. He described them as fabricated and insisted that the true outcome did not reflect the will of the people. In a message shared on social media platform X on Saturday he said security forces had raided his home late Friday night forcing him to flee for his safety. He said he managed to escape before soldiers could arrest him and was now in hiding. According to Wine his wife and other family members remained under house arrest. He said security agents were searching for him and that he was doing everything possible to stay alive.

His statement painted a picture of a man on the run in his own country days after contesting a presidential election. Supporters reacted with alarm while critics of the government said the situation showed how little tolerance existed for dissent. Police authorities quickly disputed Wine’s account. The national police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told reporters that there had been no raid on Wine’s residence. He said the police had only restricted access in certain areas they considered security hotspots. According to him Wine was not under arrest and remained free to move.

Rusoke said the police were not preventing anyone from seeing the opposition leader but insisted they could not allow gatherings at his home that might incite violence. He suggested that Wine was still at his residence and dismissed claims that he had been taken away by force. The disagreement between Wine and the police deepened confusion and mistrust, While opposition figures insisted that the heavy security presence around Wine’s home amounted to house arrest police maintained that they were simply maintaining order. The situation became more complicated when the National Unity Platform alleged that an army helicopter had landed inside Wine’s compound on Friday night and that soldiers forcibly removed him to an unknown location. The claim spread rapidly before the internet shutdown made verification difficult. Independent confirmation was not possible and international news agencies said they could not verify the allegation. At a televised news conference Rusoke flatly denied the claim. He said Wine was at home and had not been arrested. He repeated that the opposition leader was free to move and that police were acting within the law. Attempts to reach Wine or NUP officials for immediate comment were unsuccessful.

Despite the denials Wine continued to insist that he was in danger. His party accused the government of attempting to silence him ahead of possible protests. Wine has previously called on supporters to demonstrate against what he described as mass electoral fraud. The government has warned that protests would not be tolerated citing security concerns. Uganda has a history of harsh crackdowns on demonstrations particularly those led by opposition groups. Past protests have resulted in deaths injuries and mass arrests. Many citizens therefore fear that any attempt to mobilize on the streets could lead to bloodshed. The role of the Electoral Commission has also come under scrutiny. Opposition parties have long accused it of bias toward the ruling party. In this election the commission dismissed allegations of irregularities and said the vote reflected the will of the people. It urged all candidates to resolve disputes through legal channels.

Museveni in his victory speech praised Ugandans for what he described as a peaceful election. He thanked security forces for maintaining order and said the results showed that the country was united behind his leadership. He did not directly address reports of violence or the internet shutdown. For many Ugandans especially those who have known no other leader the result felt both familiar and exhausting. Museveni came to power promising democracy and economic renewal after years of chaos. While the country has experienced periods of growth and relative stability critics say political freedoms have steadily shrunk. Young people make up the majority of Uganda’s population and many struggle with unemployment rising living costs and limited opportunities. Wine’s message of change resonated strongly with this demographic. His inability to translate that support into electoral victory has left many feeling frustrated and powerless.

International reaction has been cautious. Some foreign governments have congratulated Museveni while urging respect for human rights and democratic principles. Others have expressed concern about the election environment without directly challenging the outcome. African observers who monitored the vote said the combination of violence intimidation and communication restrictions undermined confidence in the process. They noted that while voting took place the broader conditions fell short of standards for free and fair elections. As Museveni begins another term questions remain about Uganda’s political future. Will dissent continue to be met with force or will there be space for dialogue and reform. Can opposition movements survive sustained pressure and still mobilize supporters. And how long can a country remain stable when large segments of its population feel excluded from meaningful political participation.

For now the reality on the ground is clear, Museveni remains in power Bobi Wine remains defiant and Uganda remains deeply divided. The events surrounding the election have left scars that will not fade quickly. Behind the official numbers are stories of fear hope courage and disappointment playing out in homes streets and villages across the country. Whether the next five years bring reconciliation or further tension will depend not just on those at the top but on how the state chooses to treat its critics and how citizens choose to respond. Uganda has spoken through its institutions but many of its people are still asking whether their voices were truly heard.

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