At least seven Ugandan opposition supporters were killed overnight in disputed circumstances, as President Yoweri Museveni has taken a strong lead in results from Thursday’s presidential election.
The opposition say they were attacked by security forces in the home of an MP in Butambala, about 55km (35 miles) south-west of the capital, Kampala, while police blame the violence on the opposition.
Electoral figures so far put Museveni in front with 75% of the vote and his main rival Bobi Wine on 21%, based on returns from 70% of polling stations.
The US embassy has issued an alert because of reports the security forces were “using teargas and firing into the air to disperse gatherings”.
Wine’s home in Kampala has been surrounded by security forces “effectively placing him and his wife under house arrest”, his National Unity Platform (NUP) said.
The internet shutdown imposed earlier in the week means news of the violence is only emerging on Friday in Uganda.
Opposition MP Muwanga Kivumbi told the AFP news agency that soldiers and police fired tear gas and then live bullets at hundreds of people who were following early results at his home.
“Ten were killed inside my house,” he said.
Human rights activist Agather Atuhaire confirmed this account to the Reuters news agency.
However, local police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe disputes this, maintaining police fired in self defence after a “a group of NUP goons” had attacked a police station and planned to overrun a tallying centre.
She told Reuters they were carrying machetes, axes and boxes of matches and said at least seven people had been killed.
Meanwhile, some local journalists say security forces have blocked them from accessing the opposition leader’s home in Kampala’s Magere area.
“Security officers have unlawfully jumped over the perimeter fence and are now erecting tents within his compound,” the NUP posted on X late on Thursday.
Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told local broadcaster NBS that as a presidential contestant, Wine was “a person of interest”, adding that the heavy security deployment around his home was for his own security.
Following the 2021 election, in which he garnered 35% of the vote, Wine was confined to his home for several days by security forces.
Electoral chief Simon Byabakama said on Friday that the vote counting had not been affected by the internet blackout imposed earlier in the week, as the commission was using a “private system” to transmit results from districts to the national tally centre.
Asked about the timing of the final results announcement, Byabakama said: “We are on course to announce the winner of the presidential election within 48 hours. Before 5 PM [14:00 GMT] tomorrow, we shall have the final results.”
Ugandans voted in a tense national election on Thursday after an often violent campaign, with President Museveni, 81, seeking a seventh term in office.
Wine, a 43-year-old pop star-turned-politician, has alleged “massive” fraud during the election, which was held under an internet blackout. He did not provide documentary proof and the authorities have not responded to his allegations.
Last week, the United Nation’s Human Rights Office said that the election would be marked by “widespread repression and intimidation”.
During Thursday’s vote, voting was delayed by up to four hours in many polling stations around the country as ballot boxes were slow to arrive and biometric machines, used to verify voters’ identity, did not work properly.
Some have linked the problems to the network outage.
Although there are six other candidates, the presidential poll is essentially a two-horse race between Museveni and Wine, but given the president has won the six previous elections, analysts say he is likely to further extend his time in power.
Wine, who says he represents the youth in a country where most of the population is aged under 30, has promised to tackle corruption and impose sweeping reforms, while Museveni argues he is the sole guarantor of stability and progress in the country.
The campaign period was marred by the disruption of opposition activities – security forces have been accused of assaulting and detaining Wine’s supporters.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke dismissed these complaints, accusing opposition supporters of being disruptive.
Internet access was suspended on Tuesday, with Uganda’s Communications Commission saying the blackout was necessary to prevent misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence – a move condemned by the UN human rights office as “deeply worrying”.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had called on his supporters to protest, if Thursday’s election results were manipulated.
However, as of Friday morning, there have been no signs of any demonstrations.
A Museveni victory would extend the former rebel leader’s four-decade grip on power. He is widely believed to favour his son, military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as his successor, though he denies grooming him for the role.
The final presidential result is expected be announced by 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday, according to the electoral commission.
