Votes being counted in Uganda election as opposition alleges rigging

Votes are being counted in parts of Uganda amid an internet shutdown and opposition accusations of rigging in presidential and parliamentary elections.

“Massive ballot-stuffing reported everywhere,” declared presidential hopeful Bobi Wine in a post on social media, without providing documentary proof.

The authorities have not responded to his allegations of electoral fraud, nor to his claim that “many” polling agents and supervisors belonging to his NUP party were “abducted, and others chased off polling stations”.

Delays of up to four hours have been blamed on malfunctioning biometric machines used to verify voters’ identities.

Some have linked the problems to the network outage – plus a lack of voting materials, and equipment not arriving at some stations on time.

Polling stations will therefore close later than planned. The electoral commission says that anybody who joined the queue by 17:00 local time ( 14:00GMT) will be able to cast their ballot.

Earlier on, the electoral agency apologised for the “technical glitches” and said officials were working to resolve them.

In the presidential race, Yoweri Museveni, 81, in power since 1986, is seeking a seventh successive victory as he faces a challenge from Bobi Wine, a charismatic 43-year-old pop star.

The result of the presidential vote will be announced by 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday, the electoral commission has said.

On Thursday morning, the BBC observed growing frustration among voters queuing at some polling stations in the capital, Kampala.

Some people were reported to have left polling stations without voting, saying they could not wait for the technical problems to be resolved.

Election chief Simon Byabakama ordered the use of the national voters’ register where biometric machines failed to function.

The problems appear to have affected both areas seen as pro-government as well as those seen as opposition strongholds.

“I’m angry because I have not voted up to now. We are meant to start at seven, but up to now [08:00] we haven’t started. The ballots papers are not even there, I don’t even know what to say,” Kaweesi Ismail, a voter in Kampala, told the BBC.

Casting his vote in his native Rwakitura Village in the western Mbarara region, President Museveni said he had also experienced difficulties.

“I put my thumbprint on the machine but it did not accept it. However, my face was accepted instantly by the machine. The machine works,” he said.

Asked if he would accept the election outcome, the president said: “This is one of the manipulations – we have to find out why, what was the problem?”

“We are now verifying whether this was deliberate,” he added.

The presidential poll is essentially a two-horse race between Museveni and Wine, but given the president has won the six previous elections, analysts say he is likely to further extend his time in power.

Wine has promised to tackle corruption and impose sweeping reforms, while Museveni argues he is the sole guarantor of stability and progress in the country.

The campaign period was marred by the disruption of opposition activities – security forces have been accused of assaulting and detaining Wine’s supporters.

Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke dismissed these complaints, accusing opposition supporters, particularly those belonging to Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party, of being disruptive.

Internet access was suspended on Tuesday, with Uganda’s Communications Commission saying the blackout was necessary to prevent misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence – a move condemned by the UN human rights office as “deeply worrying”.

The NUP has rejected this explanation, accusing the regulator of trying to stop the opposition from mobilising and sharing evidence of election fraud. The party has launched an offline vote-monitoring app in case of a blackout.

The app, called Bitchat, uses Bluetooth technology to share images of the results forms from polling stations and voting data without internet access, according to Wine.

The former leader of a guerrilla army, Museveni has benefitted from two constitutional amendments – removing age and term limits – that have allowed him to keep running for office.

Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi, lost to the president in the 2021 elections, although Wine dismissed the results, alleging fraud.

Alongside Museveni and Wine, six other presidential candidates are on this year’s ballot papers.

Voters will also chose a new parliament, with 353 seats up for grabs.

For many of those voting on Thursday, the economy is the key issue.

The majority of the population is under 30 and although the average income is steadily rising, there are not enough jobs for all the young people looking for work.

There are also concerns about poor infrastructure and disparities in access to quality education and healthcare.

During the campaign period, opposition supporters have faced escalating harassment, including arrest on politically motivated charges, according to both the United Nations and Amnesty International.

Wine’s rallies, unlike those of Museveni, have been disrupted by security forces.

Amnesty has described the use of tear gas, pepper spray, beatings and other violent acts as “a brutal campaign of repression” ahead of the vote.

In addition, the head of Uganda’s electoral body told the BBC he has received threats warning him against declaring certain results.

Additional reporting by Wedaeli Chibelushi