President Yoweri Museveni has been confirmed as the winner of the 2026 presidential poll in Uganda.
The declaration further extends Museveni’s more than three-decade rule after a tightly contested election marked by an internet blackout and restrictions on civil society groups.
The chairperson of the electoral commission, Simon Byabakama, who made the announcement on Saturday, revealed that the long-serving leader garnered over 7.9 million votes, the highest among all candidates.
The commission noted that Museveni, who first assumed office in 1986, exceeded the required threshold by scoring more than half of all votes cast.
He said, “Having obtained the highest number of votes in the election and the votes cast in his favour being more than 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast at the election, the Commission hereby declares Candidate Yoweri Museveni as the winner of the election.”
According to official figures, 11.4 million citizens participated in Thursday’s election, giving a turnout of 52.50 per cent among registered voters.
Museveni defeated a former singer-turned-politician, Bobi Wine, who won 24.72 per cent and said he was in hiding on Saturday after a raid by security forces on his home.
Wine has faced relentless pressure since entering politics, including multiple arrests before his first run for the presidency in 2021.