Uganda’s long-serving President, Yoweri Museveni, has been declared the winner of the 2026 presidential election, consolidating his grip on power and stretching his leadership beyond four decades in office.
The country’s Electoral Commission announced the outcome on Saturday, confirming that the 81-year-old leader secured more than 7.9 million votes, the highest tally among all contestants in the fiercely contested poll.
Announcing the results, the commission’s chairperson, Simon Byabakama, said Museveni met the constitutional requirement by polling over 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
“Having obtained the highest number of votes in the election, and the votes cast in his favour being more than half of the total valid votes, the commission hereby declares Yoweri Museveni as the winner of the election,” Byabakama stated.
Official figures showed that about 11.4 million Ugandans participated in the election, translating to a voter turnout of 52.5 per cent of registered voters.
Museveni, who first came to power in 1986 after a guerrilla war, has remained a dominant figure in Uganda’s political landscape, repeatedly reshaping the system to retain control. His latest victory comes amid heightened political tension, with the election period marked by an internet shutdown and restrictions on the activities of civil society groups.
While the government maintains that the measures were necessary to safeguard national security and public order, critics argue that they undermined transparency and limited civic participation during a crucial democratic exercise.
The declaration of Museveni as winner is expected to provoke fresh debate at home and abroad over governance, democratic succession and political freedoms in the East African nation, as Uganda prepares to navigate yet another term under its longest-serving leader.
