Uganda election: Museveni leads as NUP claims Bobi Wine under house arrest

KAMPALA, Uganda,

Uganda's Electoral Commission announced on Friday morning that incumbent President Yoweri Museveni was ahead with 76.25% of the vote, while his principal challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, stood at 19.85%.

According to the commission, chaired by Justice Simon Byabakama, results from 45% of polling stations showed Museveni, aged 81, receiving 3.9 million votes compared with 1.3 million for Bobi Wine.

Voting took place across Uganda on Thursday to choose the next president, along with 353 constituency MPs and 142 district women representatives.

The election was marred by significant delays and widespread malfunctions of biometric voter identification kits.

President Museveni, who has led the country since 1986, personally experienced the problem when the devices repeatedly failed to recognise him.

“I am a good role model and Ugandans from all over, including in the diaspora, saw what happened,” he remarked after casting his ballot.

“We are going to investigate why the kits failed, but they worked with face recognition.”

He commended the electoral commission after it allowed the use of the manual register.

"There is no reason why a voter would show up and then be denied the chance to vote,” he said.

Bobi Wine, meanwhile, expressed strong confidence in victory despite reported crackdowns on National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders and supporters.

“We are here. I don’t feel safe, neither is my spouse safe. But our safety is not above the safety of citizens. We want every Ugandan to feel safe,” he said.

NUP on social media platform X posted on Thursday night that Bobi Wine was under effective house arrest, after the police and the military allegedly surrounded his home in the capital, Kampala.

“The military and police have surrounded the residence of President Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, effectively placing him and his wife under house arrest. Security officers have unlawfully jumped over the perimeter fence and are now erecting tents within his compound,” NUP posted.

Earlier in the day (Thursday) Bobi Wine exuded confidence, but accused authorities of shutting down the internet as part of a deliberate plan to enable ballot stuffing and rigging by government operatives.

President Museveni, leader of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), had previously accused opposition figures of being the main perpetrators of electoral fraud, claiming they attempted to rig the last election.

Museveni said “I expect to win with 80 percent if there will be no cheating”.

Security was heavy throughout the country, and opposition parties raised concerns after reports emerged that military personnel had taken over the distribution of election materials at certain polling stations near Entebbe.

In addition to Museveni and Bobi Wine, the presidential contest included Elton Joseph Mabirizi (Conservative Party), Robert Kasibante (National Peasants Party), Nathan Nandala Mafabi (Forum for Democratic Change), Mugisha Muntu (Alliance for National Transformation), Munyagwa Mubarak Sserunga (“Mugati gwa Butter”, Common Man’s Party), and Frank Bulira Kabinga (Revolutionary People’s Party).All candidates in the 2026 presidential race were male.Final results are expected to be known by Saturday at the latest.