The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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By: AFP
Ugandans went to the polls on Thursday under a government-imposed internet shutdown and a heavy police and military presence, as President Yoweri Museveni sought to extend his 40-year rule.
The Daily Monitor advised citizens on “election-proofing” their homes, reflecting widespread fears of unrest in a country long accustomed to Museveni’s authoritative rule.
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Museveni, 81, has faced persistent accusations of using security forces to suppress opposition, including singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, 43, who has mobilised support from his Kampala slum constituency and warned of election rigging and violence.
Polling stations opened late, but voting began shortly after 7am (0400 GMT) in parts of Kampala, with heavy security seen in border towns like Jinja. Hundreds of Wine supporters have been arrested ahead of the vote, and he has worn a flak jacket at rallies, calling the election a “war” against a “military dictator.”
The government shut down the internet indefinitely on Tuesday, claiming it was preventing the spread of misinformation, a move the UN described as “deeply worrying.”
Wine has vowed protests if the election is rigged. Meanwhile, former opposition candidate Kizza Besigye, who ran against Museveni four times, remains under treason trial after being abducted in Kenya in 2024.
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Despite criticism, many Ugandans continue to praise Museveni for stabilising the country and driving economic growth, even as corruption scandals persist. At his final rally in Kampala, the president told voters: “Go and vote. Anybody who wants to interfere with your freedom, I will crush them.”
Election day saw heightened tensions, with journalists blocked from rallies, harassment of media personnel, and deployment of “special constables” to enforce order.
Human Rights Watch condemned the suspension of 10 NGOs, including election monitors, and described the opposition’s experience as “brutal repression.”
