Uganda's Museveni declared election winner

Uganda's Museveni declared election winner

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won a decisive re-election victory on Saturday, elections officials said, but his main rival Bobi Wine alleged widespread fraud and said citizens should reject the result.

Emily Wither reports.

Supporters of the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni celebrated in the streets after he won a decisive re-election victory on Saturday (January 16).

But his main rival Bobi Wine alleges widespread fraud.

Calling on citizens to reject the result – labelling it a coup against the will of the people of Uganda.

The singer-turned-lawmaker says his home in the capital, Kampala, is surrounded by hundreds of soldiers and that the military is blocking him from leaving.

He spoke to Reuters by phone from his compound.

“General Museveni is fabricating those results and that is why he has completely shut down the internet and switched off all our phone numbers, mine, my wife's and all the leaders of our party.” The army’s deputy spokesman told Reuters that security officers at Wine’s house were assessing threats he could face by going out.

Museveni has been in power for 35 years.

He campaigned for another term arguing his long experience in office makes him a good leader - promising to keep delivering stability and progress.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, galvanized young Ugandans with his calls for political change.

He pledged to end what he calls dictatorship and widespread corruption.

Wine says he has video proof of voting fraud, and would share the videos as soon as internet connections were restored.

Reuters has not independently verified Wine’s claims. The U.S. and the EU did not deploy observer teams. But the U.S. State Department’s top diplomat for Africa said in a tweet that the “electoral process has been fundamentally flawed”.