Social media shutdown, rigging claims and arrest mar voting in Uganda

Uganda’s opposition leader has been released after being arrested by police in Kampala as the country wraps up voting for the presidential election, which the opposition alleges has been rigged in favour of the incumbent Yoweri Museveni. Police detained Kizza Besigya, a presidential candidate, as he and his supporters tried to show reporters what he called a vote-rigging operation. President Yoweri Museveni has nearly 62% of the vote, far ahead of his nearest rival Mr Besigye, with 33%, according to partial results announced by Uganda’s election commission.

[We have] very reliable information, corroborated information that there was a house in a suburb of the city… where the operation of rigging the elections is centred.

Leading opposition candidate Kizza Besigye

The elections were marred by delays in delivering voting materials, especially in areas seen as opposition strongholds, as well as a government shutdown of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Besigye’s supporters said the delays were deliberate and were aimed at favoring Museveni, whose rival is popular in Kampala. The head of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, called the long delays “absolutely inexcusable”. Museveni, 71, took power by force in 1986 and pulled Uganda out of years of chaos. He is a key U.S. ally on security matters, especially in Somalia.

Whoever will try to bring violence, you will see what we shall do to him. Those who want violence should play somewhere else, not Uganda.

Yoweri Museveni

Uganda voting