KAMPALA, Uganda — Months after Uganda’s 2026 General Election, the political contest surrounding President Yoweri Museveni’s re-election continues to play out online, with opposition figures intensifying demands for greater transparency over the official results.
Although the Electoral Commission of Uganda declared Museveni winner of the January 15 presidential election with 71.65 per cent of the vote, opposition parties and activists continue to challenge the credibility of the process, particularly the lack of publicly accessible polling-station-level results.
The dispute has increasingly shifted to digital platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), where opposition leaders have sustained campaigns calling for what they describe as “granular transparency” through the release of Declaration of Results (DR) forms from every polling station.
The tensions began on election day when the government imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, a move that drew criticism from rights groups and opposition leaders who argued it undermined electoral transparency.
National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, used social media to raise alarm over alleged irregularities during voting and tallying.
“Massive ballot stuffing reported everywhere,” Kyagulanyi posted at the time, urging Ugandans to “reject the criminal regime.”
The internet blackout, which lasted through the vote tallying period, has since become central to the opposition’s argument that the official results could not be independently verified during a period of restricted digital communication.
Since the official declaration of results on January 17, opposition supporters have repeatedly demanded the publication of detailed polling-station tally sheets.
“Where are the DR Forms? We challenge the EC to publish the tally sheets for every polling station for public scrutiny,” the National Unity Platform’s official account posted on January 18.
Opposition criticism widened in February after Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Nandala Mafabi rejected the outcome, alleging widespread manipulation during the electoral process. FDC president Patrick Amuriat Oboi later echoed those concerns, describing the election as a failure to reflect the will of voters.
Unlike previous election cycles, however, much of the post-election challenge has unfolded outside the courtroom.
A presidential petition filed before Uganda’s Supreme Court by candidate Robert Kasibante was withdrawn on February 26, with the petitioner citing the “prohibitive cost of forensic audits” and limited access to electronic electoral data.
Bobi Wine also declined to file a formal petition, arguing that the judiciary could not independently adjudicate the dispute.
Following the withdrawal of the petition, Uganda’s Supreme Court confirmed Museveni as President-elect, paving the way for his swearing-in ceremony held on May 12 in Kampala.
The controversy surrounding the election has also drawn international attention.
The Uganda Law Society, in a February assessment report, acknowledged that while electoral procedures were largely followed within the legal framework, concerns surrounding internet restrictions, candidate disqualifications and transparency remained unresolved.
International reactions have been divided.
The African Union commended Uganda for maintaining electoral continuity, while several Western governments and institutions expressed concern over shrinking democratic space and restrictions on civil liberties during the election period.
In February, members of the European Parliament debated Uganda’s political environment and discussed a possible review of development cooperation arrangements with Kampala.
In the United States, Senator Jim Risch criticised Uganda’s political trajectory and raised concerns over regional stability and governance.
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Attention has also increasingly focused on Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and son of President Museveni, whose growing political influence and outspoken social media activity have continued to shape public debate in Uganda.
The Ugandan government has consistently defended its handling of the election and rejected foreign criticism, maintaining that heightened security measures and temporary internet restrictions were necessary to preserve national stability and prevent unrest.
However, opposition activists continue sharing videos, documents and alleged “digital evidence” online, arguing that unanswered questions surrounding the vote remain unresolved months after the election.
As Uganda enters another Museveni term, the battle over the legitimacy of the 2026 election appears far from over — increasingly fought through social media narratives, digital activism and competing claims over transparency and democratic accountability.
