UUganda’s resident Yoweri Museveni on Sunday dismissed his main challengers as fortunate despite his commanding landslide in the 15 January 2026 presidential election, claiming low voter turnout spared the opposition greater humiliation.
The 81-year-old leader, addressing the nation from his rural home in western Uganda amid gathered dignitaries, declared the result a powerful demonstration of the enduring strength of his National Resistance Movement, which has ruled the east African nation since 1986.
Museveni secured 71.65% of the vote, or more than 7.9 million votes, according to official results announced by the Electoral Commission on Saturday. His closest rival, musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine (real name Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu) of the National Unity Platform, received 24.7%, while other candidates trailed far behind with less than 2% each.
“The opposition was lucky,” Museveni said bluntly. “10 million of my people did not turn up. They would have been embarrassed badly.”
Voter turnout stood at just 52%, the lowest since Uganda returned to multiparty politics in 2006. Museveni suggested many absentees were his own supporters, uninterested in a foregone conclusion.
Contentious poll amid repression claims
The election unfolded under heavy criticism. Authorities imposed a days-long internet shutdown, citing risks of misinformation and incitement, a move condemned by rights groups and the United Nations as repressive. Biometric voter identification machines failed in several areas, including the capital Kampala, forcing reliance on manual registers that opposition figures alleged enabled ballot stuffing in Museveni strongholds.
Bobi Wine, aged 43, rejected the results as “fake” and reported fleeing his home after a police raid, claiming his family remained under house arrest. He has called for peaceful protests while hinting at a possible court challenge, though Uganda’s judiciary has historically upheld Museveni’s victories despite recommending reforms.
Violence marred the process. At least seven opposition supporters were killed in Mpigi district after clashing with police at a polling station. Museveni accused opponents of attempting to incite unrest and urged religious leaders to guide youth away from such influences.
A legacy of unchallenged power
Museveni’s win grants him a seventh term, pushing his rule toward five decades. Supporters praise him for delivering relative stability after decades of turmoil, positioning Uganda as a regional haven for refugees fleeing conflict.
Critics, however, point to constitutional changes that eliminated term limits and age restrictions, alongside the jailing or sidelining of rivals. Veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains imprisoned on treason charges he deems politically motivated.
Uganda has never seen a peaceful presidential handover since independence from Britain in 1962.
In his address, Museveni framed the victory as validation of his leadership amid regional challenges. Yet the low turnout and widespread allegations underscore deep divisions in a nation where youth frustration—embodied by Wine—clashes with the veteran ruler’s grip on power.
