Uganda’s Museveni declared winner of presidential election

Uganda’s election commission on Saturday declared incumbent Yoweri Museveni the winner of the presidential election, extending his 35-year rule as his main rival alleged fraud and urged citizens to reject the result.

Museveni won 5.85 million votes, or 58.64 percent, of the total while main opposition candidate Bobi Wine won 3.48 million votes or 34.83 percent, the electoral commission said in a televised news conference.

“The electoral commission declares Yoweri Museveni … elected president of the republic of Uganda,” said election commission chairman Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama.

Bobi Wine, 38, galvanised young Ugandans with his calls for political change and pledged to end what he calls dictatorship and widespread corruption.

Security personnel and police were out in force patrolling the capital, Kampala, on Saturday. The government ordered the internet shut down the day before the election, and the blackout was still in place.

Museveni, 76, campaigned for another term arguing his long experience in office makes him a good leader while promising to keep delivering stability and progress.

Bobi Wine, a singer-turned-lawmaker whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said on Friday he had video proof of voting fraud and would share the videos as soon as internet connections were restored.

Byabakama said under Ugandan law, the burden of proof rested with Bobi Wine.

For his own safety’

Security forces had sealed off a wide perimeter around Bobi Wine’s sprawling compound on Saturday and told international journalists they were not permitted to enter, witnesses said.

Bobi Wine accused Museveni of fabricating the results and called the poll “the most fraudulent election in the history of Uganda”.

Bobi Wine told Al Jazeera the authorities were refusing to allow him to leave his home.

The army’s deputy spokesman, Deo Akiiki, told Reuters news agency security officers at Bobi Wine’s house were assessing threats he could face by going out: “So they might be preventing him in the interest of his own safety.”

The African Union and the East African Community sent observer teams to the election, but neither group of officials responded to requests for comment about possible irregularities.

Police recorded 42 election-related offences nationwide during voting and tallying so far, police spokesman Fred Enanga said on Friday night on local NBS TV. Offences included assaults, voter bribery, and theft and damage of electoral materials, he said.

The run-up to Thursday’s election was more violent than in previous polls. Security forces cracked down on opposition candidates and their supporters during the campaign, and more than 50 people died in protests in November on one of the multiple occasions when Bobi Wine was arrested.

SOURCE : NEWS AGENCIES