Overview
- Ugandans head to the polls on Thursday in presidential and parliamentary elections widely expected to extend Yoweri Museveni’s four-decade rule.
- Main challenger Bobi Wine campaigns in body armor after teargas, beatings and mass arrests of National Unity Platform supporters, with at least one recent death reported.
- Amnesty International cites roughly 400 arrests linked to the opposition in recent months, while authorities restrict coverage by banning live broadcasts of “riots” and “unlawful processions.”
- Analysts highlight succession questions around army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba and say the key test may be post‑vote stability rather than the result itself.
- Fears of unrest grow after deadly protests in Kenya and Tanzania in 2024–25, as Uganda’s youthful electorate weighs frustrations against the ruling party’s promise to “protect the gains.”