Museveni secures seventh term as Uganda president amid disputed results and unrest

By The Inspirer.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been re-elected for a seventh term after winning Uganda’s presidential election with 71.6 percent of the vote, according to results announced by the Uganda Electoral Commission.

The commission said opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, came second with 24.72 percent, while James Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) received 1.88 percent. The remaining candidates each obtained less than one percent of the vote.

The presidential election was held on January 15, 2026, with voter turnout at 52.5 percent of the 21.6 million registered voters. A total of 11,090,848 ballots were counted from 50,739 polling stations across the country.

Museveni garnered 7,946,772 votes, compared with 2,741,238 for Bobi Wine and 209,039 for Mafabi. Conservative Party candidate Elton Joseph Mabirizi placed last with 23,458 votes, equivalent to 0.21 percent.

The outcome was immediately rejected by the main opposition. Bobi Wine said he and his wife had gone into hiding at a secure location after security forces allegedly attempted to arrest them on January 16, reportedly using a helicopter. He accused authorities of fabricating results, arresting members of his National Unity Platform party and shutting down the internet to manipulate the vote.

He said the figures announced by electoral commission chairperson Simon Mugenyi Byabakama did not reflect the will of voters, calling on Ugandans to reject the declared results.

The presidential poll was conducted alongside parliamentary elections, and the announcement of results was followed by unrest in several parts of the country. Police said at least 12 people were killed and others injured during the disturbances.

Seven people were shot dead in Mutambala district on the night of January 15. Police said they were supporters of parliamentary candidate Muhammed Muwanga Kivumbi and were killed while attempting to illegally access a vote tallying centre.

In Kampala, residents of Makindye clashed with security forces guarding a polling site after expressing anger over the announced results. Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said security personnel had been reinforced to restore calm, adding that operations were still ongoing.

The 2026 election differed from the 2021 polls in that Museveni increased his total number of votes, although voter turnout declined. In 2021, turnout stood at 59.35 percent, Museveni won with 58.38 percent, while Bobi Wine came second with 35.08 percent.

The latest vote extends Museveni’s long rule, as opposition leaders and civil society groups continue to question the credibility of Uganda’s electoral process.