Ugandan opposition leader issues election warning

Bobi Wine has accused incumbent President Yoweri Museveni of planning to rig the January 15 vote

Ugandan opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, has threatened to call for protests if the East African country’s presidential election is “rigged.” In response, long-time President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to take “firm” action against anyone who seeks to fuel unrest.

Wine, leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), is Museveni’s main rival in the election scheduled for Thursday.

“I know that General Museveni’s government responds to everything with violence... But I also know that even violent regimes get thrown out by protests,” Wine told AFP on Monday.

Wine, 43, a former singer, was defeated by Museveni in a controversial 2021 vote in which he won 35%, compared to the incumbent’s 59%. The opposition rejected the result and accused the government of voter suppression and widespread vote rigging, allegations the authorities denied. Wine was placed under house arrest over national security concerns amid post-election unrest across the country at the time.

READ MORE: Vocal critic of West seeks reelection as Ugandan leader

According to the election commission, around 21.6 million voters have registered for the 2026 election. There are eight candidates, including Wine and Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.

Kizza Besigye, a popular opposition figure, has remained in detention on treason charges since his arrest in Kenya in November 2024. Last month, human rights activist and government critic Sarah Bireete was also arrested ahead of the January 15 vote. Several civil society groups, including Chapter Four Uganda and the Human Rights Network for Journalists, have been suspended – a move Wine described as an attempt to silence critical voices.

Read more

The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on Friday called for unfettered participation in the election, urging Ugandan authorities to avoid the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters.

On Monday, Uganda’s election authority said it met with a delegation from the joint observer mission of regional blocs, to brief them on its commitment to ensuring a transparent, credible, and peaceful electoral process.

In a post on X on Tuesday, the Ugandan president, who is seeking a seventh term, urged his supporters not to be “intimidated” by “threats of violence” from the opposition.

“Anyone who attempts to disrupt our peace will be dealt with firmly. Peace is guaranteed,” he declared.