Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni voiced confidence about extending his rule into a fifth decade during a tense national election on Thursday held under an internet blackout following a campaign marred by violence. The election is widely seen as a test of the 81-year-old leader’s political strength and ability to avoid the kind of unrest that has rocked neighbours Tanzania and Kenya, as speculation mounts about his eventual succession. Museveni, who has positioned Uganda as a security partner to Western nations since coming to power in 1986, campaigned on a slogan of “protecting the gains”, vowing to maintain peace and lift the country into middle-income status.
The 43-year-old Wine, nicknamed the “Ghetto President” for his humble origins, has appealed to young people angry about scarce economic opportunities in a country where the average age is just over 16. Museveni has warned that security forces would deal firmly with any election day protests. There were no reports of protests as polling stations began to close after 5 p.m.
(1400 GMT) and ballot counting began. Results are expected within 48 hours. The voting took place amid a heavy police and military presence.
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The authorities cut internet access across the country on Tuesday to curb what they called misinformation about the election. Many Ugandans turned to an offline messaging app launched by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. During the campaign, security forces repeatedly opened fire at Wine’s events, killing at least one person and arresting hundreds of his supporters.Museveni’s government has said those actions were a justified response to what it called lawless conduct by opposition supporters.
On Thursday, many polling stations did not open on time because biometric voter verification machines were not working, leading the electoral commission to extend the close of voting by an hour. Casting his ballot in the Kasangati township, Ronald Tenywa, a 45-year-old university researcher, complained that political leaders “cling on for a long time”.
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