How Museveni’s grassroots structures resisted Besigye’s campaign momentum Last week, Yoweri Museveni was reelected to a seventh (fifth elective) term of office as President of Uganda, defeating (or rigging – as his supporters claim) his main rival, Dr. Kizza Besigye. It was the most competitive election Museveni has faced since …

By Haggai Matsiko The story hidden behind the numbers President Yoweri Museveni won the Feb.18 elections but he is still bristling with campaign trail frustration. The President, who won with 61% of the vote, has said publically that international election observers, who announced that he did not win fairly, are …

Paris, France | AFP | Numerous presidents, especially in Africa and Latin America, have sought to amend their countries’ constitutions in an attempt to hang onto power. Bolivia’s Evo Morales, who conceded on Wednesday he had lost a bid to seek a fourth term, is one of the few leaders …

Independent Reporter and AFP REPORTS JUST IN INDICATE THAT Opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been held by the Uganda Police after he attempted to march into the city from his home in Kasangati, 14km outside Kampala. Besigye had planned to march with his supporters to the Electoral Commission to get …

Kampala, Uganda | AFP | Saturday 2/20/2016 Uganda’s top opposition leader Kizza Besigye said poll results Saturday handing President Yoweri Museveni a fifth term should be rejected, in a statement issued while under house arrest surrounded by dozens of police. “The results of the presidential elections must be rejected,” Besigye’s …

Uganda Communications Commission UCC has finally come out to explain the very poor internet access that hit the country from midnight to the start of polling day 7.00am February 18 – and later. They switched it off, they said. Many people found it difficult to access social media, especially Facebook, …

By Independent Reporter Uganda’ Police chief has spoken out against what he called unprofessional journalism practiced by some media houses ahead of the elections. IGP Gen.Kale Kayihura said Uganda has had a relatively peaceful election period despite media exaggerations. He mainly hit out stories about a fire at a business …

A team of 10 members from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have been deployed in the south-central Ugandan districts of Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono to observe the general election scheduled for Feb.18. IGAD member states include; Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda. Speaking to the media on …

The Electoral Commission (EC) has dispatched election materials including ballot papers from the commission’s warehouse in Banda ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for Thursday Feb.18. The EC chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu told journalists that phones and cameras are not allowed in the precincts of polling stations. He said …

By Haggai Matsiko Big money deals loom over election The general elections of Feb. 18 must not only be free and fair, they must be seen to be free and fair. That is the higher bar imposed on the  Electoral Commission  by numerous challenges leading into the elections; including procurement …