Uganda's Museveni Secures Seventh Term, Extends 40-Year Rule After Contested Election

Last Updated:January 18, 2026, 20:45 IST

Museveni, 81, claimed 71.65 percent of the vote, according to the Electoral Commission. His main challenger, Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old former singer, won 24.72 percent.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni. (AFP file photo)

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term in office on Saturday, extending his 40-year rule, after an election marred by violence, intimidation, and an internet shutdown.

Museveni, 81, claimed 71.65 percent of the vote, according to the Electoral Commission. His main challenger, Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old former singer and opposition leader, won 24.72 percent and rejected the results, calling them “fake."

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said he was in hiding after security forces raided his home, though police denied the raid and said he remained there.

“I know that these criminals are looking for me everywhere and I am trying my best to keep safe," Wine wrote on X.

In Kampala, security forces were heavily deployed across the capital as the government sought to prevent protests similar to those seen in neighbouring countries. AFP reported that while small-scale unrest occurred late Saturday, by Sunday the streets were calmer and shops had reopened.

The election was also marked by an internet blackout that began two days before voting. Most internet services were restored on Saturday evening, but Uganda said it would maintain a ban on social media platforms.

Authorities justified the restrictions as necessary to prevent misinformation and protect public order, a move criticised by the United Nations as “deeply worrying."

African election observers, including former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, said they saw no evidence of ballot-stuffing but condemned reports of intimidation, arrests, and abductions targeting opposition members and civil society. Jonathan said the internet shutdown “disrupted effective observation" and “instilled fear," though he described the actual polling day as largely peaceful.

Museveni’s victory cements his long-standing grip on power. While some Ugandans praise him for ending post-independence chaos and overseeing economic growth, critics say his rule has been marked by widespread corruption and suppression of dissent.

(With inputs from AFP)

News world Uganda's Museveni Secures Seventh Term, Extends 40-Year Rule After Contested Election

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