Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has secured a seventh term in office following elections held on Thursday, January 17, amid reports of violence, arrests, and an internet shutdown. African election observers said intimidation, including abductions and arrests, had “instilled fear” among voters and opposition supporters.
Museveni, 81, won 71.65 percent of the vote, according to the Electoral Commission. The election was overshadowed by reports of at least 10 deaths and widespread intimidation targeting opposition figures and civil society groups. The result extends Museveni’s rule of the East African nation to more than 40 years.
His main challenger, Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old former singer-turned-politician, received 24.72 percent of the vote. Wine said on Saturday that he was in hiding following what he described as a raid by security forces on his home.
Wine, who has faced repeated arrests and pressure since entering politics ahead of the 2021 presidential election, rejected the results, calling them fraudulent. In a post on X, he said he escaped during the raid on Friday night and was no longer at his residence, though his wife and other family members remained under house arrest.
“I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them,” Wine wrote. “Currently, I am not at home. I know that these criminals are looking for me everywhere, and I am trying my best to keep safe.”
Police denied carrying out a raid on Wine’s home but said they had restricted access in areas considered security hotspots. Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told reporters that authorities believed Wine was still at home and said the measures were intended to prevent gatherings that could incite violence.