President Yoweri Museveni has surged ahead in Uganda’s 2026 presidential election, claiming 61.7% of votes in the first official results released by the Electoral Commission (EC), while main challenger Bobi Wine trails far behind and denounces the process as manipulated.
The preliminary tally, covering just 133 polling stations (0.26% of the total), shows Museveni with 14,232 votes against Bobi Wine’s 7,753 (33.64%). Other candidates remain marginal, with FDC’s Nathan Nandala Mafabi at 2.43%.
Though based on a tiny fraction of the more than 21 million registered voters, the early figures highlight Museveni’s enduring strength in rural areas. The EC has scheduled the next update for 9am today, with final results expected by Saturday evening.
Voting on Thursday was marred by widespread technical failures of biometric verification kits, forcing manual processing and causing long delays—particularly in Kampala and central regions, Bobi Wine’s key strongholds. A pre-election internet shutdown further fueled distrust.
Bobi Wine condemned the breakdowns as orchestrated sabotage aimed at stealing the election and pledged peaceful resistance if the results are rigged. “The people of Uganda must stand up and protect their vote,” the National Unity Platform leader said.
Museveni rejected accusations of foul play, attributing the glitches to incomplete staff data uploads and describing the poll as largely peaceful.
At 81, Museveni—who has ruled since 1986—is seeking another term against 43-year-old Bobi Wine, the former musician who has galvanized the country’s youth. The campaign was overshadowed by heavy security deployment and arrests of opposition figures.
Tallying continues at the national centre in Lubowa as Uganda awaits further results—and possible tensions.
Stay tuned for the final Uganda 2026 election results as the contest between Museveni and Bobi Wine unfolds with great drama.
