Early results show Museveni in lead in Uganda election as violence reported | Uganda
Uganda’s veteran president Yoweri Museveni emerged as the frontrunner in early presidential election results announced on Friday, as conflicting accounts of reported violence emerged after the vote.
Museveni, who is 81 and has led Uganda since coming to power in 1986, is seeking a decisive victory after a campaign marred by violence at opposition rallies.
The results announced by the electoral commission for Thursday’s elections showed that Museveni received 76.25% of the votes, based on counts from almost half of the polling stations. His main rival, popular singer Bobi Wine, followed him with 19.85% of the votes, while the remaining votes were split among the other six candidates.
After voting on Thursday, Museveni told reporters that he expected to win with 80 percent of the vote “unless there is fraud.”
Wine has alleged mass fraud and called on his supporters to protest during the election, which was held under an internet blackout that authorities said was necessary to prevent “misinformation”.
The U.N. human rights office said last week that the elections were held amid “widespread pressure and intimidation” and that recent political violence in neighboring Tanzania and Kenya had raised fears about unrest in Uganda.
No protests were reported during voting hours, but violence broke out overnight in the town of Butambala, about 35 miles (55 km) southwest of the capital Kampala.
Prominent human rights activist Agather Atuhaire said at least 10 opposition supporters who gathered at the home of MP Muwanga Kivumbi to follow the initial results were killed by soldiers and police.
Referring to the statement of Kivumbi’s wife, rights defender Zahara Nampewo, Atuhaire said that soldiers and police first fired tear gas and then used live bullets at the people sheltering in Kivumbi’s compound.
Reuters was unable to reach Nampewo, who Atuhaire said was too shaken to speak to the media.
Local police spokeswoman Lydia Tumushabe disputed this statement. He said opposition “thugs” organized by Kivumbi and carrying machetes, axes and matchboxes attacked a police station. He said that the police opened fire in self-defense and that there were dead and injured people, but he did not say the number.
Kivumbi could not be reached for comment and Reuters could not immediately confirm the circumstances of the violence.
Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party wrote on its X account late Thursday that the military and police surrounded Wine’s home in Kampala, “effectively placing him under house arrest.”
Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told Reuters he was unaware Wine was under house arrest.
Security forces imprisoned Wine in his home for days after the last election in 2021, in which he received 35% of the vote. This was rejected by U.S. officials who said the elections were neither free nor fair.
During the campaign, Wine’s rallies were disrupted by security forces firing tear gas and bullets. At least one person died and hundreds of opposition supporters were arrested in the violence.
The government defended these actions as a response to lawless behavior by opposition supporters.
