In brief
As Uganda prepares for a crucial presidential election, Simon Byabakama, the electoral commission chief, reveals that he has been threatened to avoid declaring opposition candidate Bobi Wine as the winner. Despite the intimidatory tactics and a tense political climate, Byabakama insists that only the voters will determine the election results and reaffirms his commitment to his duties in the face of challenges, including heavy military presence.
The head of Uganda's electoral body, Simon Byabakama, has reported receiving threats warning him against declaring certain presidential candidates as the winners of the upcoming election scheduled for Thursday. Byabakama refused to be intimidated by these threats, which he attributed to unnamed senior state officials.
In response to a BBC inquiry regarding a viral video in which a presidential assistant stated that the electoral commission would never declare opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, as president—regardless of the electoral outcome—Byabakama expressed his commitment to the integrity of the voting process.
Some people say if you don't declare so-and-so as president, you will see. I tell them that I am not in the business of donating votes, he asserted.
President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades, is seeking a seventh term in the upcoming elections, faced primarily by 43-year-old Bobi Wine, who is aiming to unseat him after a previous runner-up finish in 2021.
Byabakama announced that he planned to release the results within 48 hours after the polls close, asserting that it would be the voters and not state threats that would guide the election outcomes. Meanwhile, he noted the heightened military presence around polling stations, stating that it was meant to maintain order and safety.
As tension builds in the lead-up to the polls, there are already reports of opposition activities being disrupted, with activists facing detentions and scheduled rallies being broken up by the police.
Despite the ongoing challenges, Byabakama maintained that fearing threats is not in his character, emphasizing that the voters' will and the law would ultimately dictate the election process.
