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Tag: Uganda

  • Museveni Declared Uganda Presidential Election Winner

    By: Sumaya Hussein (husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

    Thumbnail photo courtesy of Citizen TV

    Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been declared the winner of Uganda’s presidential election with 5,851,037 (58.64%) of the total electoral votes. Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, came in second with 3,475,298 (34.83%) of the total votes. Museveni who has ruled Uganda since 1986, now going for his sixth term, is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.

    Bobi Wine had on Friday claimed that the election had seen “widespread fraud and violence”, but he remained positive as votes were counted under an internet blackout.
    “Despite the widespread fraud and violence experienced across the country earlier today, the picture still looks good. Thank you, Uganda for turning up and voting in record numbers,” Wine tweeted shortly after internet was restored.

    Opposition Maestro, Bobi Wine. Photo courtesy of Amnesty.

    Moreover, he went ahead to say that there was ballot stuffing and his party agents had in some places been beaten and chased away from polling stations.
    “Whatever is being declared is a complete sham we reject it and we dissociate ourselves with it,” added Wine on Friday, promising to provide video evidence once the internet was restored.
    He, however, did not give details about his accusations which contradicted the government’s account that the Thursday’s vote had been peaceful with no major cases of violence reported.

    The Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation in Uganda also noted that they were impressed with the peaceful conduct exhibited on Thursday during voting. “We saw an extremely well-organized election exercise with people very orderly waiting to cast their votes and everything went on very peacefully. We are impressed…the (Electoral Commission) presiding officers were very professional,” Ambassador Pacifici said.

    The election took place with no major international observer mission aside from the African Union, with the United States saying too many of its staff were denied permission to monitor the vote.
    Biometric polling machines were used at 34,000 polling stations. Once past the biometric verification, voters were directed to three ballot boxes to vote for their district level, parliamentary, and presidential candidates.

    Police had advised people not to go out to celebrate or protest after results are announced citing draconian COVID-19 rules that were regularly used to crack down on the opposition.

  • Museveni Shuts Down Social Media Ahead of Election Day

    By: Sumaya Hussein (husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

    Thumbnail photo courtesy of pmldaily

    Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has shut down social media two days before the country heads to the polls.

    Museveni has accused Facebook and unnamed outside groups of “arrogance” after it removed Ugandan accounts linked to his re-election campaign.
    “That social channel you are talking about, if it is going to operate in Uganda, it should be used equitably by everybody who wants to use it,” said President Museveni, during a National address on Tuesday.

    He added that he was “sure the government has closed social media” and apologized to Ugandans for what he called an inconvenience.

    Earlier, Uganda’s communications regulator has ordered internet services providers to shut down social media and messaging services. Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Executive Director, Irene Sewankambo, ordered telecommunications companies to “immediately suspend any access and use” of social media and online messaging platforms. The list of banned social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Viber.

    This came as Bobi Wine, Museveni’s challenger, said police had raided his home and beat two security guards.
    Bobi Wine, a popular singer and politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, said the raid on his compound happened while he was doing an interview with Kenya’s Hot 96 FM radio station.
    “I have to end the interview because I can see soldiers beating my security guards,” he said.
    Patrick Onyango, police spokesman for the capital Kampala, denied Bobi Wine’s home had been raided or that anyone was arrested. “We were just rearranging our security posture in the area near his home, specifically removing some checkpoints,” said Onyango.

    Ugandan Opposition figure head, Bobi Wine. Photo courtesy of AFP.

    At 38, Bobi Wine who is half the age of Museveni has attracted a large following among young people in the nation who make up 80% of the population.
    He is consideredto be the frontrunner among 10 candidates challenging the former rebel leader who seized power in 1986.
    Bobi Wine and other leading opposition candidates said they had launched a concerted effort to protect against vote rigging at polling stations.
    They are urging protestors to stay within 100 metres of polling stations rather than return home as the electoral commission is demanding. This is likely to lead to confrontations with security forces.

  • SUPPORT NEEDED IN UGANDA FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HOSTING REFUGEES

    By Gladys Sheila
    Gladyshila52@gmail.com

    Thumbnail image courtesy of: wikipedia

    Uganda has been recorded as the country hosting the largest number of refugees in Africa with 1.3 million refugees. It is also the third largest country in the world.

    The Ugandan approach towards the refugees has been termed as a good lead especially to the other host countries. According to a new report released by the World Bank Group says that as much these countries are supporting refugees, there is need to improve the social and economic status of the countries hosting the refugees and refugees too.

    According to the report given World Bank Group, Uganda has been progressing on helping the refugees, whereby the refugees’ policies with support from humanitarian partners have managed to give equal social services access as the host where sometimes they enjoy more of the services than the host communities.

    “The people of Uganda have been incredibly generous towards refugees, and this generosity of the host communities should be recognized by supporting them to have a higher quality of life. This study provides an evidence-based understanding of the living conditions of both refugees and hosts, which we expect will inform policy and programming for the national refugee response,” Tony Thompson, World Bank Country Manager for Uganda said.

    The report done by World Bank Group shows that about 95 percent of refugees and 66 percent of the host have access to improved water but the access to electricity for both is 50 percent. However, both can access health facilities as well as improved sanitation, although this is made easier by the Non-Governmental Organization. The report also shows that refugees remarkably contribute to the local economy, by purchasing goods and services in the local markets and operating businesses.

    However, both can access health facilities as well as improved sanitation, although this is made easier by the Non-Governmental Organization. The report also shows that refugees remarkably contribute to the local economy, by purchasing goods and services in the local markets and operating businesses.

    However, 48 percent of refugees live in poverty this is because more than 50 percent depend on humanitarian support, due to their inability to generate income because they do not have sills or are not taken through trainings.

    The report given recommendations on some measures to be taken in order to improve self-support of refugees and also communities that are hosting them improve their living conditions, supporting Ugandan economy as well. This will be achieved by increasing the agricultural productivity by providing inputs as well as creating job opportunities.

    Photo courtesy of: dispatch.ug