Yoweri Museveni Wins 7th Term as Uganda President With 7.9 Million Votes

Yoweri Museveni has won the presidential race,securing his seventh term, the Ugandan Electoral Commission has declared.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate,Museveni, was declared the winner on Saturday, January 17, after garnering 71.65 per cent of the total votes cast, translating to 7,946,772 votes in the contentious elections.

"The Commission now proceeds to declare the results of the presidential elections in accordance with section 59 of the Presidential Elections Act," the Commission Chairperson Simon Byabakama said.

" Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,  7,946,772 votes. Now therefore, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, having obtained the highest number of votes in the elections and the votes cast in his favour being more than 50 per cent of the votes cast, the Commission hereby declares candidate Museveni the duly elected president of the Republic of Uganda for the next five years," Byabakama added.

According to the country's electoral commission, Museveni's main opponent andNational Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, came second.

Bobi garnered 24.72 per cent of the total votes cast, translating to 2,741,238 votes. Kyangulanyi had earlier rejected the provisional election results, terming them a 'massive fraud'.

The elections were held on Thursday, January 15, across 146 districts. During the polls, each district also participated in the election of Members of Parliament.

Museveni received support largely among individuals who have benefited from his 40-year rule. On the other hand, Bobi Wine's support was mainly from the youth and urban population who were demanding change.

The president-elect's manifesto,themed 'Protecting the Gains and Securing a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status',focused on consolidating Uganda's previous achievements and transitioning to a high-productivity economy.