Uganda’s Electoral Commission has declared President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the winner of Thursday’s presidential election, securing him another term in office. Museveni polled 7.9 million votes, representing 71.6 per cent of the total, while opposition candidate Bobi Wine received 2.7 million votes.
The announcement, made on January 17, 2026, confirms Museveni’s seventh consecutive term as president, extending his leadership of the East African nation to nearly four decades.
Ahead of the election, internet access across Uganda was shut down from Tuesday, limiting independent verification of information and real-time monitoring of the polls. Authorities said the shutdown was intended to curb misinformation, electoral malpractice, and the incitement of violence. However, the United Nations Human Rights Office criticised the move as “deeply worrying,” raising concerns about freedom of expression and transparency. Bobi Wine has since demanded the immediate restoration of internet services, insisting that open access is vital to a credible electoral process.
Museveni’s re-election at the age of 81 highlights a wider pattern across parts of Africa, where long-serving leaders remain in power for decades. Critics argue that constitutional changes and entrenched political dominance in such systems weaken democratic institutions and limit leadership renewal. Analysts often cite leaders like Cameroon’s Paul Biya as examples of this trend, sometimes referred to as the “big man” era, which has fuelled growing frustration among younger populations seeking political and economic change.
In Uganda, calls for generational leadership and improved economic opportunities, particularly from the youth who form a large portion of the population, featured prominently during the 2026 campaign.
Bobi Wine, a former musician turned politician, has rejected the official results, describing them as “fake” and accusing the electoral commission of lacking transparency. He and his supporters alleged widespread irregularities, including ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and the internet shutdown, which they say prevented independent reporting during the vote count. Wine urged Ugandans to reject the announced figures, claiming that his agents at tallying centres questioned the credibility and source of the results.
