Yoweri Museveni Wins Uganda's Presidential Election 2026 As His Arch Rival Bobi Wine Refuses To Concede Defeat

Uganda's incumbent President Yoweri Museveni has won the presidential election of the country's general elections that were held on January 15, 2026. The final results of the presidential poll were announced by the Electoral Commission of Uganda (EC), on January 17, 2026.

Yoweri Museveni wins Uganda's Presidential Election 2026 as his arch rival Bobi Wine refuses to concede defeat

According to the results, President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) won the presidential poll with 71.65% of the vote, while his arch rival Bobi Wine of the National Unity Party (NUP) came on second position with 24.72% of the vote. The win implies 7th term in office for the incumbent president who has ruled the East African nation for 40 years.

However, Bobi Wine who was 4 years old when his rival first came to power, is said to have refused to concede defeat, describing the announced presidential election results as and we quote partly as follows.

"...fake results"

Yoweri Museveni wins Uganda's Presidential Election 2026 as his arch rival Bobi Wine refuses to concede defeat

He then called for peaceful protests aimed at compelling the country's electoral body to deliver correct election results or what he called and we quote partly again as thus.

"...rightful results"

The main oppostion presidential nominee is said to have made the description and call from an unknown place where he has been hiding after he fled his mansion in Kampala, in order to escape what he said arrest by security forces.

Even earlier on January 17, 2026, some media had reported that Bobi Wine had been captured in his mansion in Kampala and whisked away in a military chopper to unknown destination. But now, with Bobi Wine's utterance about the presidential election results, the reports seem to be obviously incorrect.

More generally, despite voting delays, internet restrictions, and heavy security presence on the election day, the voting process is said to have taken place in calm and peaceful atmosphere. As such, Uganda General Elections 2026 could be argued to have been conducted fairly well at least by East Africa's democratic election standards and records.

Not even some allegations of harassment and intimidation by security forces at opposition campaign rallies can change the above assessment of the general elections. That is because calm and peace on an election day often reflect the electorate's satisfaction with the manners the general elections were prepared. Dissatisfaction would often manifest itself in the form of protests, chaos, and even violence on the election day.

As regards emerging disputes over the announced presidential election results, they can be settled legally because by the Uganda's electoral system, presidential election results can be challenged in the country's Supreme Court. It is probably important to mention that the African Union observers that monitored the general elections, are said to have indicated that the elections were conducted properly. The observers are said to have dismissed allegations of electoral fraud and particularly allegations of ballot stuffing, saying that they found no evidence of that.

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