Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has warned that he will mobilise mass protests if President Yoweri Museveni manipulates this week’s presidential election, as more than 20 million voters prepare to head to the polls on Thursday.
Speaking to AFP, Wine said the opposition would not accept what it views as an illegitimate outcome, insisting that citizens must actively defend their votes.
“We have said it many times, that if General Museveni rigs the election, we shall call for protests,” he said.
According to him, the opposition has encouraged Ugandans to “take charge” of the electoral process, describing the vote as having been “codenamed a protest vote.”
Museveni, 81, is seeking to extend his grip on power after nearly four decades as president, a tenure underpinned by tight control of state institutions and the security forces.
Wine, 43, a pop star-turned-politician, is his main challenger and is contesting the presidency for the second time. His 2021 bid was overshadowed by violent crackdowns, arrests of supporters and allegations of widespread electoral fraud.
Wine said the opposition enjoys significant grassroots support but raised doubts about whether political power would be relinquished peacefully if Museveni loses.
“Are we taking power? That’s a question for the population, the international community, and for General Museveni, who is holding power using the gun,” he said.
International rights organisations, including the United Nations and Amnesty International, have accused Ugandan authorities of intensifying repression ahead of the vote, pointing to the arrests and harassment of opposition figures and supporters.
While acknowledging that protests could provoke further violence, Wine stressed that his movement remains committed to non-violent resistance, arguing that even “violent regimes get thrown out by protests.”
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