Uganda has officially declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the 2026 presidential election, extending his over three-decade grip on power after a fiercely contested vote marred by an internet shutdown and restrictions on civil society groups.
The announcement was made by the chairperson of the electoral commission, Simon Byabakama, who revealed that the long-serving leader garnered over 7.9 million votes the highest among all candidates.
The commission noted that Mr Museveni, who first assumed office in 1986, exceeded the required threshold by scoring more than half of all votes cast.
“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,” Mr Byabakama stated.
According to official figures, 11.4 million citizens participated in Thursday’s election, amounting to a turnout of 52.50 per cent of registered voters.
