Uganda’s long-serving leader, Mr Yoweri Museveni, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, extending his rule to a seventh term and cementing nearly four decades in power.

The election, held amid a government-ordered shutdown of internet services, was overshadowed by allegations of violence, voter intimidation and restrictions on opposition activity. Rights groups and observers raised concerns over the conduct of the polls, describing the environment as heavily securitised and unfavourable to free political participation.

The announcement of the final results came on Saturday, nearly 48 hours after voting concluded. Chairperson of Uganda’s Electoral Commission, Mr Simon Byabakama, said the 81-year-old Museveni had secured the majority of valid votes cast, thereby meeting the constitutional threshold required to be declared president.

“Having obtained the highest number of votes in the election, and with votes cast in his favour exceeding 50 percent of the valid votes, the commission hereby declares the elected president: Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni,” Mr Byabakama said while reading the official results.

According to the Electoral Commission, Museveni garnered 71.65 percent of the vote, amounting to 7,944,772 ballots. His closest challenger, opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine and candidate of the National Unity Platform (NUP), received 24.7 percent, or 2,741,238 votes.

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Mr Museveni first came to power in 1986 after leading a rebel movement that overthrew the government at the time. He is now one of Africa’s longest-ruling leaders. The outcome of the latest election has drawn sharp criticism from local and international rights organisations, which cited the internet blackout, reports of deadly incidents, limits placed on opposition campaigns and the exclusion of several international election observers.

Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old musician-turned-politician, rejected the results and accused authorities of manipulating the process. In a post on X late Friday, he said security forces had raided his home and that he was forced to flee to avoid arrest.

“Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest,” Mr Wine wrote. “I know that these criminals are looking for me everywhere, and I am trying my best to keep safe.”

Mr Wine further alleged that dozens of his supporters were killed by security forces during the election period, including at least 10 individuals who were monitoring the vote tallying process. Police authorities disputed this account, saying seven people died after allegedly attacking a police station.

Concerns were also raised by regional observers. Addressing journalists in Kampala on Saturday, Edda Makabagwiza, head of the East African Community Observers Mission, said the suspension of internet access had hampered the work of observers on the ground.

“The Uganda Communications Commission issued a directive to suspend public internet access, which had a direct impact on the compilation and analysis of field reports from our observers,” Makabagwiza said.

Uganda has one of the youngest populations globally, with the majority of its estimated 50 million citizens under the age of 40. For many Ugandans, Museveni is the only leader they have ever known, a fact that has shaped political debate and intensified calls for generational change in recent years.

On election day, Mr Wine was seen arriving at a polling station in Kampala alongside his wife to cast his vote, an image that quickly circulated on social media before internet access was cut nationwide.

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Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the capital remained tense following the announcement of the results. A journalist based in Kampala, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals, told NPR that security forces were heavily deployed across the city. In some neighbourhoods, soldiers and police were reportedly forcing businesses to close, while streets appeared largely empty as residents stayed indoors amid uncertainty about the aftermath of the election.

As Uganda enters another term under Museveni’s leadership, questions persist over political freedoms, the role of security agencies in electoral processes and the prospects for opposition politics in a country where power has remained firmly in the hands of one man for nearly 40 years.