Uganda’s longest serving President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has been declared the winner of the 2026 presidential election making him set to preside over the country for a seventh term.
This is after he secured more than the constitutional requirement of 50 per cent plus one needed for an outright first-round victory.
On Saturday afternoon, the Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama, announced incumbent and National Resistance Movement’s Museveni as the winner of the highly contested January 15 polls with 7,946,772 votes, representing 71.65 per cent of the valid votes cast, extending his four-decade rule by another five years.
National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine, came second with 2,741,238 votes (24.72 per cent).
The remaining candidates trailed behind with FDC’s Nathan Nandala Mafabi gettinh 209,039 votes (1.88 per cent), while Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) candidate Mugisha Muntu polled 59,276 votes (0.53 per cent).
Common Man’s Party candidate Mubarak Munyagwa received 31,666 votes (0.30 per cent), National Peasants Party’s Robert Kasibante obtained 33,440 votes (0.30 per cent), and Conservative Party flag bearer Joseph Mabirizi secured 23,458 votes (0.21 per cent).
However, Bobi Wine has since rejected the results declared by Justice Simkn Byabakama at the National Tally Centre, Lubowa along Entebbe road citing alleged irregularities, including voter intimidation, arrests of party agents, ballot stuffing, and widespread voter suppression.
“I reiterate our COMPLETE REJECTION of the fake results Byabakama is reading. In addition to the ballot stuffing, the military take-over of the election, the detention of our leaders and polling officials, and other electoral offences, their results have zero backing!” Bobi wine posted on his X account.
He added, “We condemn the murder of numerous citizens who have thus far attempted to peacefully demonstrate against the broad daylight thuggery”.
Bobi wine further urged Ugandans to peacefully demand what he described as the rightful outcome of the vote.
“The people of Uganda have the right to protest in defence of their sovereign right to determine a government of their choice – not the kind of criminality we’re witnessing” he said.
The NUP leader further claimed that he and his wife had been under house arrest since January 15, the day of the elections, and alleged that security forces raided his residence the following day.
Kyagulanyi alleged that the officers cut off electricity and disabled security cameras before accessing the compound using ladders, with a helicopter hovering overhead to provide light.
However, police have denied reports that Kyagulanyi is under house arrest.
Very objective