Uganda opposition leader Bobi Wine cleared to run against Museveni in 2026

The singer-turned-politician is hoping to unseat longtime president, who is seeking a seventh term.

Ugandan absorption person Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known arsenic Bobi Wine, has been cleared to tally successful the statesmanlike predetermination scheduled successful January, the Electoral Commission has confirmed a week aft rejecting his archetypal submission.

After Wednesday’s decision, Wine, a popular star-turned-politician, tin erstwhile again situation President Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking a grounds seventh word successful office. The 81-year-old has ruled the state since 1986.

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During the past predetermination successful 2021, Wine secured 35 percent of the ballot portion Museveni won with 58 percent – his poorest borderline of triumph since taking power.

After the result, Wine accused Museveni of ballot stuffing and fraud, and astatine slightest 54 radical were killed portion protesting against the outcome. Wine was placed nether location apprehension successful the aftermath.

Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) enactment present has the largest fig of seats among the absorption successful parliament with overmuch of its enactment coming from working-class communities successful municipality areas.

Museveni urged his supporters to backmost his imaginativeness for Uganda’s aboriginal aft electoral officials announced his nomination adjacent Kampala connected Tuesday. A law amendment successful 2017 removed the statesmanlike property bounds of 75, allowing him to widen his rule.

Concerns implicit intimidation

Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Kampala, said Wine remains Museveni’s “main rival”.

“He said the past ballot was rigged, his ballot was stolen, and helium says this is not going to hap immoderate more,” Soi said.

“His enactment and supporters person besides been complaining that they person been intimidated successful the run-up to this election. They accidental that immoderate of them person been arrested. Others person been abducted, allegedly by information forces.”

Soi said the Electoral Commission president told Al Jazeera the electoral assemblage is trying to make a harmless abstraction for the absorption to run and to marque definite that the constabulary are not precise heavy-handed.

“But a batch of Ugandans are disquieted astir what has been going on, and they don’t judge that this predetermination is going to beryllium free, just oregon credible.”

Another salient absorption figure, Kizza Besigye, 68, remains successful jailhouse successful Kampala connected treason charges aft being seized from neighbouring Kenya successful November. He has denied immoderate wrongdoing. Besigye has challenged Museveni successful 4 elections without success.