Provisional results announced on Friday morning showed Museveni, 81, ahead with 76% of the votes, based on results from 45% of polling stations. Opposition leader Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician, was in second place with 19.76%, while the remaining votes were split among six other candidates.
Ugandans went to the polls on Thursday in a tightly contested national election, with Museveni seeking a seventh term in office. After casting his vote, Museveni told reporters he expected a decisive win, stating he anticipated around 80% of the vote 'if there's no cheating.'
Voting faced some delays in several areas, with ballot boxes arriving late and biometric machines, used to verify voters' identities, experiencing technical issues. Some polling stations reported waits of up to four hours.
The National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Bobi Wine, said late on Thursday that security forces had surrounded his home in Kampala. Police have not officially confirmed this report. Wine's party noted that a similar situation occurred after the 2021 election, when he was confined to his home for several days.
Uganda's electoral commission has indicated that the results are still provisional, with counting ongoing. Authorities have urged patience as final results are compiled and verified.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
