Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been officially declared the winner of the country's presidential election, securing his seventh term in office and extending his nearly four-decade rule. The 81-year-old leader, who has governed Uganda since seizing power in 1986 following a five-year guerrilla war, polled 71.65 percent of the total votes, according to results announced by the electoral commission. His main challenger, opposition leader Bobi Wine (real name Robert Kyagulanyi), garnered 24.72 percent. Museveni's prolonged tenure has been facilitated by controversial constitutional amendments, including the removal of presidential term limits in 2005 and age limits in 2017, which allowed him to contest elections beyond previous restrictions.

However, the election held on Thursday was met with significant controversy, marked by widespread reports of violence, allegations of electoral malpractice, and severe state repression. The campaign period itself saw violent clashes, heavy deployment of security forces, and repeated confrontations between authorities and opposition supporters. A nationwide internet shutdown was imposed by the government, ostensibly to curb misinformation, but it also fueled speculation and confusion regarding opposition figures' safety. Ugandan security agencies confirmed at least seven election-related deaths, with further reports detailing the killing of ten campaign agents belonging to opposition MP Muwanga Kivumbi during a raid on his home.

Opposition leader Bobi Wine emphatically rejected the election outcome, denouncing the results as fraudulent and accusing authorities of widespread ballot stuffing and military interference in the electoral process. Wine revealed he was forced into hiding after a violent night raid on his home in Magere by combined forces of the military and police. During the raid, electricity was cut off, CCTV cameras disabled, and helicopters conducted aerial surveillance. While Wine managed to evade capture, his wife and other family members remained under effective house arrest. Wine's party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), initially reported him missing after a military helicopter landed in his compound, though police later denied his arrest, claiming he was free at home. However, NUP later confirmed he was forcibly removed and his private security guards assaulted.

Wine further condemned the murder of numerous citizens attempting to peacefully protest the election conduct and criticized the systematic targeting of NUP candidates. He alleged that authorities employed fraudulent techniques to usurp the will of the people in numerous constituencies and overturned opposition victories, describing it as "absolute madness" and "a direct attack on popular sovereignty."

The situation drew strong condemnation from civic advocacy groups. The Take-It-Back Movement, a Nigerian group, unequivocally condemned the "militarisation of Uganda’s electoral process and the brazen assault on democracy, fundamental freedoms, and human rights." The movement expressed grave alarm over the raid on Wine's home, characterizing the actions—such as cutting off electricity, disabling CCTV, aerial surveillance, and house arrest—as "the hallmarks of a rogue regime terrified of the will of its people." They categorically rejected the election results, stating they had "no legitimacy, no credibility, and no moral authority" under conditions of military occupation, ballot stuffing, mass arrests, and exclusion of polling agents. Drawing parallels with a broader African pattern of "stolen elections, weaponised security forces, silenced media, and criminalised dissent," the movement called for the African Union and the international community to take firm, principled action against electoral repression and state violence, standing in unwavering solidarity with Bobi Wine, the NUP, and the Ugandan people.

The latest developments underscore deepening concerns both domestically and internationally regarding the state of democratic norms in Uganda under President Museveni's extended rule, with the United Nations previously describing widespread repression and intimidation during the campaign period.