NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 18 — The African Union Commission (AUC) has commended the conduct of Uganda’s January 15 presidential election and congratulated President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on his re-election.
In a statement released on Saturday, AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf praised the electoral process and said Museveni secured victory with 71.61 per cent of the votes cast.
“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission commends the conduct of the elections in Uganda and congratulates H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on his re-election,” the statement read.
The AUC also expressed “sincere appreciation” to former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan for his leadership of the Joint African Union–COMESA–IGAD Election Observation Mission to Uganda, citing his role in overseeing the continental and regional monitoring effort.
Youssouf reiterated the African Union’s commitment to supporting democracy and effective governance across the continent, while applauding Ugandans for their participation in what he described as efforts to consolidate democratic gains, peace, security and development.
The AU statement comes amid heightened political tensions in Uganda following the declaration of final results by the Electoral Commission (EC).
72pc win
On Saturday, the EC announced that Museveni, the candidate of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), had won the election with 71.65 per cent of the vote, equivalent to about 7.9 million votes.
His closest challenger, opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP), placed second with 24.72 per cent, or approximately 2.7 million votes.
EC Chairperson Simon Byabakama said a total of 11,366,201 votes were cast, representing a 52.1 per cent voter turnout.
Uganda operates a two-round electoral system in which a candidate must secure at least 50 per cent plus one vote to win outright in the first round.
Other contenders trailed far behind, including Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change (209,039 votes), Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (59,276), Frank Kabinga of the Revolutionary People’s Party (45,959), Robert Kasibande of the National Peasants Party (33,440), Munyagwa Sserunga of the Common Man’s Party (31,666), and Elton Mabirizi of the Conservative Party (23,458).
Contested outcome
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, previously won a sixth term in January 2021, extending his rule to nearly four decades, with the latest victory securing him a seventh term.
The election, however, was conducted under heavy security deployment and a nationwide internet shutdown, which authorities said was intended to curb misinformation and prevent violence.
The opposition has rejected the outcome.
Kyagulanyi and the NUP described the results as fraudulent, alleging widespread ballot stuffing, arrests of polling agents, intimidation by security forces, and the use of the internet blackout to conceal irregularities.
In a statement issued shortly before the results were announced, Kyagulanyi claimed that security forces raided his home in Magere overnight, cut electricity, disabled surveillance cameras and placed his family under house arrest, forcing him to go into hiding.
“Those so-called results are fake and do not in any way reflect what happened at the polling stations,” Kyagulanyi said, calling for the immediate restoration of internet services and the publication of declaration forms and tally sheets for public scrutiny.
He urged Ugandans to reject what he termed a rigged process and to engage in peaceful protest, saying arrests and demonstrations had already been reported in several parts of the country.
