January 18, 2026 l By Dalena Reporters
KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the long-serving leader of Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM), has been officially declared the winner of the country’s 2026 presidential election, extending his hold on power into a seventh term in office, national media and electoral authorities announced Saturday. The declaration caps a tense electoral period marked by heightened security, allegations of irregularities, and opposition rejection of the results.
At a high-profile announcement at the National Tally Centre in Lubowa, Wakiso District, Justice Simon Byabakama, chairman of the Uganda Electoral Commission, said President Museveni secured 7,946,772 votes, equivalent to 71.65 per cent of valid ballots cast, comfortably surpassing the constitutional threshold required to win outright. The total number of valid votes tallied was 11,366,201, representing a turnout of around 52.5 per cent of registered voters.
Museveni’s closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine and leader of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), garnered 2,741,238 votes — roughly 24.7 per cent — according to the final tally. Several other minor candidates shared the remainder of the vote.
The results trigger celebrations within NRM ranks, with senior party officials asserting that the outcome reflects the electorate’s confidence in Museveni’s leadership and policies. NRM spokesman Rogers Mulindwa described the electoral margin as a sign of popular satisfaction with the status quo and the ruling party’s governance.
Yet the declaration has been met with vociferous rejection by the opposition. Bobi Wine’s camp has accused the government and electoral authorities of manipulating the election, alleging ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and irregularities in the tallying process. The opposition also denounced a nationwide internet shutdown imposed around the election period, arguing that communication restrictions impeded independent monitoring and transparency.
International media and observer reports have highlighted the strained atmosphere surrounding the vote. Violence was reported in parts of Kampala and central Uganda, with at least several fatalities linked to unrest on election day and in its aftermath though figures and circumstances vary across sources, and authorities cite efforts to maintain order.
Critics contend that Museveni’s continued incumbency, first assumed in 1986 after a five-year guerrilla struggle has been facilitated by constitutional amendments that removed presidential age and term limits, enabling the 81-year-old leader to remain in power for nearly four decades. Despite these changes and persistent allegations of systemic advantages for the ruling party, the Electoral Commission reaffirmed that the 2026 polls were conducted in accordance with Uganda’s constitutional framework.
The controversy has drawn international attention, with diplomatic actors urging restraint and respect for democratic norms. Human rights organisations and civil society groups have called for investigations into reported irregularities and a peaceful resolution of disputes.
As Uganda enters another chapter under Museveni’s extended rule, the political environment remains deeply polarised. The opposition has signalled intentions to pursue legal avenues and civic mobilisation to contest the results, while the government emphasizes stability and continuity as priorities.