Uganda’s Museveni wins election amid fraud allegations

The electoral commission said that Museveni won overwhelmingly, with 58.64% of the votes, while the opposition Wine received 34.83% of the votes. Turnout was relatively low: just under 10 million people out of the country’s 18 million eligible voters cast their ballots.

Wine said he had evidence of fraud and intimidation, but did not provide details of that alleged evidence, saying his team would share it when lines of communication were restored. He had previously accused the electoral commission of electoral fraud.

The Internet in Uganda has been closed for days by order of the government. Wine said he was struggling to take over his leadership team after being placed under house arrest on Friday.

The 76-year-old Museveni has been in power for more than three decades, and prior to this vote, outside observers believed there was little chance that he would step down.

Saturday’s results follow months of campaigning that was marred by tough responses from state security to the protests against Museveni, as well as the arrests of members of civil society.

Dozens of people died in the months leading up to the vote, including 45 who died in protests in November alone, after Wine was arrested for allegedly violating Covid-19 restrictions.

“It is clear that the violence has not come from the people of Uganda, the violence has come from the police and the army,” Wine said, when asked if he feared that his call to reject the results would lead to violence.

Ugandans voted in the poll Thursday amid the internet shutdown. In a speech Tuesday, Museveni confirmed that his government had ordered ISPs to block Facebook and other social networks, accusing the platforms of “arrogance.” In the morning of Election Day, the order was extended.

Wine had run an intense campaign on social networks, as some traditional media refused to include him in their electoral coverage.

The internet blackout has raised questions about the integrity of the vote counting and also meant that the biometric machines did not register the ballots, forcing many polling stations to use voting and manual controls.

There were reports of late delivery of voting material and insufficient material at numerous polling places. Journalists traveling to Wine’s residence for a press conference were turned away by security forces before reaching his home. Many were also forced to leave the national elections counting center, despite having accreditation.

Museveni delivered a victory speech Saturday night, in which he said he believed the vote was conducted fairly.

“I think this may turn out to be the most ‘cheat-free’ election since 1962,” he said, referring to the elections that marked the beginning of the country’s independence.

“And they told me that some people might be disabling the machines to allow cheating. But they told me that the machines were rectified and in many cases people voted for the machines.”

There were some isolated celebrations on the streets of Kampala, but the city has been largely quiet since Election Day, with restricted movement and checkpoints set up by security personnel.

But many Ugandans have expressed frustration with the leader who has been in power for 34 years.

“I am a supporter of Museveni and have been for all my life, but what has been happening over time has made him unpopular. Now it is prudent for him to prepare a successor. I know that he has a mission to die as president of for lifetime”. but that’s a recipe for trouble, “said 34-year-old Susan Rukari.

Jocelyne Karare, 65, said: “It was not fair from the beginning. No wonder 18 million, more than seven million people did not attend. People are tired.”

Monitors off

Before casting his vote on Thursday, Wine addressed the media and complained that the police had prevented most of his election agents across the country from observing the elections. Ugandan law ensures that all candidates are represented at the polling places.

He reiterated his calls for the United States and the European Union to hold Museveni and his government “accountable for free and fair elections,” accusing the leader of forcing the country to “hold elections in the dark” with his internet blackout.

“The excessive use of force by law enforcement and security agencies has seriously tarnished this electoral process,” added Borrell.

Museveni told CNN on Tuesday that he would “accept the results” if he lost.

“If I lose a fair election, I will accept the results, of course, because Uganda is not my home,” he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

“If the people of Uganda don’t want me to help them with their problems, I go and treat my personal problems with great joy.”

Came ‘under siege’

On Friday, Wine told CNN that his life was in danger because the military took his home “under siege.”

Wine said her phone was locked and her internet connection was cut off for some time when security forces broke into her home the day after the polls opened.

Appearing on NTV, Kampala police spokesman Luke Owoyesigire said that Wine was not under arrest.

“We just provided security in the area, nothing much,” he said.

Owoyesigire said state security was responding in an effort to secure Wine’s residence and protect the candidate after two people were seen trying to gain access to the home by jumping the fence, adding that one of the people had been arrested.

But a CNN reporter near Wine’s residence said Saturday that there was still a large military presence around the compound, as well as military helicopters and drones circling overhead.

Wine’s attorney, David Lewis Rubongoya, told CNN that Wine was still under house arrest.

“The military does not allow people in. They are just reading the results they want. This election was manipulated in such a blatant way,” he said.

“It is a sign of intimidation from the regime, but they are also very afraid of the people. They lost this election in a very bad way. Bobi Wine is a unifying factor, so they fear that people will rise up, so that’s why they keep it low. a kind of house arrest. It’s illegal and unconstitutional. “

He added that the Wine team was looking for all legal options to challenge the results once they were released.