Uganda's Electoral Chief Faces Threats Amidst Presidential Election

Thu Jan 15 2026 00:59:51 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Simon Byabakama, head of Uganda's electoral commission, reveals he has received threats regarding the declaration of election results, asserting that the law and voters will determine the outcome.

Simon Byabakama, the head of Uganda's electoral body, has disclosed receiving threats aimed at pressuring him not to declare certain candidates as winners in the electoral process. Responding assertively, Byabakama emphasized that the will of the voters, not intimidation, will dictate the election results, amidst a tense atmosphere featuring heavy military presence and disrupted opposition activities.

The head of Uganda's electoral body, Simon Byabakama, reported receiving threats aimed at influencing the results of the presidential election scheduled for Thursday. Byabakama stated that he would not yield to intimidation from unnamed senior state officials.

This news comes following a viral video of a presidential assistant claiming the electoral commission would not declare opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, as the winner even if he were to secure victory. Byabakama asserted, I am not in the business of donating votes and reiterated that only the voters and Ugandan law will guide the election outcome.

As President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for nearly 40 years and is seeking a seventh term, faces off against Bobi Wine and six other candidates, the election has been characterized by disruption of opposition campaigns and involvement of security forces. Byabakama promised to announce the results within 48 hours post-voting, emphasizing that the law stipulates that the candidate receiving over 50% of the votes will be declared the president.

Byabakama dismissed concerns over the heavy military presence as necessary for maintaining peace, while acknowledging investigations into allegations of polling stations being located within military precincts. He also criticized recent internet outages that were implemented to mitigate misinformation, which have raised fears of suppression ahead of the critical vote.