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Uganda’s opposition figure Bobi Wine was placed under house arrest on Friday, a day after the presidential elections.
Preliminary results have shown President Yoweri Museveni opening a wide lead as he seeks to prolong his nearly four decades in power. Museveni, who has governed Uganda since 1986, has faced accusations of harsh crackdowns on dissent ahead of the vote, while authorities also enforced a nationwide internet shutdown earlier in the week.
With around a quarter of votes counted, the Electoral Commission said Museveni had secured about 76.25 per cent of the vote, compared with 19.85 per cent for Wine.
The Electoral Commission is expected to announce the final results of both the presidential and parliamentary polls by early Saturday.
Thursday’s election was disrupted by widespread logistical and technical challenges, including malfunctioning biometric voter-verification machines and delayed ballot delivery in several locations, leaving some polling centres inactive for hours.
Political observers have largely described the contest as predictable, citing Museveni’s firm grip on state institutions and the security forces, as well as his long record of suppressing political rivals. The 81-year-old former rebel leader has ruled continuously for almost 40 years.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has become the most prominent challenger to Museveni in recent election cycles. The 43-year-old ex-musician, who rose to prominence from Kampala’s informal settlements, often refers to himself as the “ghetto president.”
Late Thursday, Wine’s party, the National Unity Platform, said security forces had surrounded his residence, effectively confining him and his wife to their home. The party alleged that armed officers had breached the perimeter and begun setting up within the compound.
The UN human rights office had earlier warned that the elections were being conducted in a climate of intimidation and repression directed at opposition groups.
