Yoweri Museveni faces Bobi Wine in presidential ballot

Polls have opened in Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary election, although voting has been disrupted by widespread logistical delays throughout the nation amid an web shutdown.

At 08:00 native time (05:00 GMT), the BBC noticed that issues had but to get going at 5 polling stations within the capital, Kampala, an hour after voting was as a result of begin.

The delays have been blamed on failures of biometric identification kits, which some have linked to the community outage.

Within the presidential race, Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has dominated the nation for almost 4 many years, is in search of a seventh successive election victory as he faces a problem from a charismatic pop star.

The place voting has been going down, there are reviews that the biometric machines used to confirm voters’ identities are nonetheless malfunctioning in some areas.

“Some biometric machines usually are not working. I do not know if it is the web,” a ruling celebration official advised AFP information company.

Delays have additionally been attributable to polling supplies and gear failing to reach at some stations on time.

“We arrived early on the polling station, however the voting gear has not but arrived,” a voter in Kampala advised state-run UBC TV.

A BBC reporter says there’s a rising frustration amongst voters over extended delays at some polling stations and electoral officers are but to touch upon the matter.

The issues seem like affecting areas which are seen as pro-government in addition to areas which are seen as pro-opposition.

The ballot is actually a two-horse race between Museveni and singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, however given the president has received the six earlier elections, analysts say he’s prone to additional prolong his time in energy.

Wine, 43, has promised to deal with corruption and impose sweeping reforms, whereas Museveni argues he’s the only guarantor of stability and progress within the nation.

The marketing campaign interval was marred by the disruption of opposition actions – safety forces have been accused of assaulting and detaining Wine’s supporters.

Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke dismissed these complaints, accusing opposition supporters, significantly these belonging to Wine’s Nationwide Unity Platform (NUP) celebration, of being disruptive.

Web entry had been suspended forward of voting day, with Uganda’s Communications Fee saying a blackout was mandatory to stop misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence – a transfer condemned by the UN human rights workplace as “deeply worrying”.

The NUP has rejected this clarification, accusing the regulator of attempting to cease the opposition from mobilising and sharing proof of election fraud.

The previous chief of a guerrilla military, Museveni has benefitted from two constitutional amendments – eradicating age and time period limits – which have allowed him to maintain working for workplace.

Wine, actual title Robert Kyagulanyi, misplaced to the president within the 2021 elections. In accordance with the electoral fee, he gained 35% of the vote in comparison with Museveni’s 59%, though Wine dismissed the outcomes, alleging fraud.

Alongside Museveni and Wine, six different presidential candidates are on this 12 months’s poll papers.

Voters will even selected a brand new parliament, with 353 seats up for grabs.

For a lot of of these voting on Thursday, the financial system is the important thing problem.

Nearly all of the inhabitants is below 30 and though the common revenue is steadily rising, there usually are not sufficient jobs for all of the younger folks on the lookout for work.

There are additionally considerations about poor infrastructure and disparities in entry to high quality schooling and healthcare.

Through the marketing campaign interval, opposition supporters have confronted escalating harassment, together with arrest on politically motivated fees, in line with each the United Nations and Amnesty Worldwide.

Wine’s rallies, not like these of Museveni, have been disrupted by safety forces.

Amnesty has described using tear fuel, pepper spray, beatings and different violent acts as “a brutal marketing campaign of repression” forward of the vote.

As well as, the top of Uganda’s electoral physique advised the BBC he has obtained threats warning him in opposition to declaring sure outcomes.

“Some folks say should you do not declare so-and-so as president, you will note. I inform them that I’m not within the enterprise of donating votes,” stated Simon Byabakama, vowing that solely the voters would determine who received the election.

The 2012 elections had been additionally characterised by violence – dozens of individuals had been killed in protests and the safety forces had been liable for at the least a few of these deaths, a BBC investigation discovered.

Since Saturday, safety has been heightened in Kampala, Uganda’s capital metropolis.

Officers have been marching in formation and conducting patrols, whereas armoured autos have been stationed at numerous places.

Some Kampala residents have travelled to rural areas, saying they imagine it’s safer there throughout the election interval.

“As a result of Ugandan elections are sometimes violent, I made a decision to re-register my polling centre in my residence village,” one man advised the BBC. He wished to stay nameless.

“I am glad I made that call, as a result of as you possibly can see now, there’s a heavy and intimidating safety presence within the metropolis. So whereas I’ll nonetheless vote in my village, I’m additionally staying away from this safety scare.”

Polls are as a result of shut at 16:00 native time (13:00 GMT) on Thursday, though anybody within the queue presently will probably be allowed to vote.

The results of the presidential vote will probably be introduced by the identical time on Saturday, the electoral fee has stated.