By: Our Reporter
Kampala — The Electoral Commission (EC) on Saturday at around 4:00pm officially declared President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the winner of Uganda’s 2026 presidential election, affirming his leadership for another five-year term.
Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama announced that Museveni, flagbearer of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), secured a decisive victory with 7,946,772 votes, representing 71.65 % of the total valid votes cast — well above the constitutional threshold required for victory.
Second place went to Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, who garnered 2,741,238 votes — 24.72 % of the valid ballots.
Other candidates trailed far behind, with Nathan Nandala Mafabi (FDC) receiving 1.88 %, Mugisha Muntu (ANT) securing 0.53 %, and the remainder of the field — including Frank Bulira Kabinga, Robert Kasibante, Mubarak Munyagwa, and Elton Joseph Mabirizi — each attracting under 0.5 % of the vote.
With a total of 11,366,201 votes cast from 21,649,067 registered voters, the voter turnout was reported at approximately 52.50 %. Invalid or blank ballots accounted for 2.42 % of the total.
In his remarks following the declaration, President Museveni thanked Ugandans for their participation and trust, emphasising that the election reflected the popular will and a mandate to continue delivering peace, security, and economic progress. He highlighted plans to accelerate wealth creation, infrastructure development, job opportunities for youth, and deepening regional stability, urging all citizens to rally behind national development goals regardless of political affiliation.
Government officials hailed the election as a demonstration of Uganda’s democratic processes, noting that the peaceful conduct of voting across most parts of the country reinforced confidence in the nation’s institutions. They also commended the role of security forces in ensuring an orderly environment that enabled voters to cast their ballots.
The Electoral Commission reminded any candidates with grievances that the law provides clear, constitutional avenues for addressing disputes through the courts, reaffirming Uganda’s commitment to the rule of law and democratic order.
As celebrations continue among NRM supporters across the country, leaders from government and allied civil society groups have called for unity, stability, and focus on tangible development outcomes for all Ugandans.
