At least seven supporters of Uganda’s opposition were killed overnight amid contested accounts of violence, as early election results showed President Yoweri Museveni taking a commanding lead in Thursday’s presidential vote.
Opposition leaders say the deaths occurred after security forces raided the home of a lawmaker in Butambala, about 55km (35 miles) south-west of Kampala, while police have blamed the unrest on opposition supporters.
Provisional figures released by the electoral commission on Friday afternoon showed Museveni ahead with 75% of the vote from about 60% of polling stations. His closest challenger, opposition leader Bobi Wine, was trailing with 21%.
Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) said security forces had surrounded his home in the capital, Kampala, “effectively placing him and his wife under house arrest”.
The emergence of details surrounding the overnight violence was delayed due to an internet shutdown imposed earlier in the week.
Opposition MP Muwanga Kivumbi told the AFP news agency that soldiers and police first fired tear gas before opening fire with live ammunition on hundreds of people who had gathered at his home to follow early election results.
“Ten were killed inside my house,” he said.
Human rights activist Agather Atuhaire confirmed this account to the Reuters news agency.
Police rejected the opposition’s version of events. Local police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe told Reuters that officers had acted in self-defence after “a group of NUP goons” attacked a police station and planned to overrun a vote tallying centre. She said they were armed with machetes, axes and boxes of matches, adding that at least seven people had died.
Journalists in Kampala reported being prevented from accessing Wine’s residence in the Magere area. Late on Thursday, the NUP alleged that “Security officers have unlawfully jumped over the perimeter fence and are now erecting tents within his compound.”
Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told local broadcaster NBS that Wine, as a presidential candidate, was “a person of interest” and that the security deployment was intended to protect him.
Following the 2021 election, in which Wine won 35% of the vote, he was confined to his home for several days by security forces.
Electoral commission chairman Simon Byabakama said on Friday that the internet blackout had not disrupted the vote count, explaining that results were being transmitted using a “private system”. He added: “We are on course to announce the winner of the presidential election within 48 hours. Before 5 PM [14:00 GMT] tomorrow, we shall have the final results.”
Ugandans cast their ballots on Thursday in a tense election following a frequently violent campaign. Museveni, 81, is seeking a seventh term in office, while Wine, a 43-year-old pop star-turned-politician, has alleged “massive” electoral fraud. He has not provided documentary evidence and authorities have not responded to the claims.
Ahead of the vote, the United Nations Human Rights Office warned the election would be marked by “widespread repression and intimidation”.
Voting was delayed by up to four hours at many polling stations due to late delivery of ballot boxes and malfunctioning biometric voter verification machines, problems some observers have linked to the internet outage.
Although six other candidates are on the ballot, analysts view the race as effectively between Museveni and Wine. Given Museveni’s victories in the previous six elections, observers say he is likely to extend his decades-long rule.
Wine has positioned himself as a voice for Uganda’s youth, in a country where most citizens are under 30, pledging to fight corruption and push through sweeping reforms. Museveni, meanwhile, argues that his leadership is essential for stability and development.
The campaign period was overshadowed by allegations of harassment and detention of opposition supporters, which police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke dismissed, accusing opposition backers of disruptive behaviour.
Internet services were cut on Tuesday, with the Uganda Communications Commission saying the move was aimed at preventing misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence. The UN human rights office described the shutdown as “deeply worrying”.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had urged supporters to protest if the results were manipulated, but no demonstrations had been reported as of Friday morning.
A Museveni victory would further extend the former rebel leader’s four-decade grip on power. He is widely believed to favour his son, army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as a successor, a claim he has denied.
The final presidential results are expected to be announced by 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday, according to the electoral commission.
(BBC)
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