Ugandan President Museveni wins 7th term, main challenger reportedly detained

By Hamza Kyeyune

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has won a seventh term in office following the Jan. 15 presidential election, announced the country's Election Commission on Saturday, while his main challenger, Bobi Wine, has reportedly been detained.

Election Commission chief Simon Byabakama on Saturday announced the electoral tally, with incumbent President Museveni leading with 71.65%, while his main challenger, 43-year-old popular pop star-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, came second with 24.72%.

Museveni, now 81 years old and in power for four decades, is the fourth-longest-serving ruler on the African continent. He extended his time in office by eliminating previously established term limits in 2005 and 2017.

Byabakama added that the whereabouts of Bobi Wine remain unknown.

Benjamin Katana, the national treasurer of Bobi Wine’s political party, told Anadolu that security agencies sealed off the residence of Bobi Wine, and no one is allowed to enter or exit.

The son of Bobi Wine, however, posted on US social media company X that both Bobi Wine and his wife were captured by security operatives and taken to an unknown destination. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told the media that he is not aware of Bobi Wine’s arrest.

Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria and also the head of the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) election observation mission that was deployed in Uganda, expressed the mission’s concern about the country’s political landscape, adding that switching off the internet created suspicion and mistrust of the electoral process.

“Despite previous assurance by the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) of continued internet availability throughout the electoral period, the mission noted with concern that two days before the election, the UC shut down the internet. The action limited access to information, freedom of association, curtailed economic activities, and further disrupted effective observation by the AU-COMESA-IGAD,” he said.

He highlighted that the incident of violence in opposition rallies led to injury to some journalists and destruction of media equipment.

Widespread violence during campaigns also prompted the UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk to condemn the government's growing repression of opposition in the run-up to the general election. Hundreds of opposition supporters remain in custody.

The European Union, which has traditionally been the largest supporter of Ugandan governance reforms, withdrew from sending an election observation mission to Uganda’s elections since the 2021 presidential elections, after complaints that advice from previous observers to make the polls fair went unheeded.

The United States, another significant development partner for Uganda, also stopped sending observers.

President Museveni has successfully aligned his government with many of Washington’s regional security priorities, including US counterterrorism efforts across the region.