Ugandans vote in charged election between long-time leader Yoweri Museveni and singer Bobi Wine

The internet went down on the eve of the vote, with some parts of the country reporting complete disruptions or significant slowdowns, after a violent campaign

Wine is the strongest of 10 opposition contenders. But Museveni has never lost an election, and most observers expect he and his ruling party to prevail

Reading Time:3 minutes

Supporters of Ugandan presidential candidate and singer Bobi Wine. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:39pm, 14 Jan 2021Updated: 8:38pm, 14 Jan 2021

Ugandans lined up to vote in a tense election Thursday under heavy security and an internet blackout as veteran leader Yoweri Museveni sought a sixth term against a former pop star half his age.

The internet went down on the eve of the vote, with some parts of the country reporting complete disruptions or significant slowdowns, after one of the most violent campaigns in years.

Museveni is seeking a sixth term in office, having ruled for almost four decades, against singer-turned-MP Bobi Wine, 38, whose popularity among a youthful population has rattled the former rebel leader.

Wine said several of his party’s polling agents had been arrested during the morning, as he cast his vote on the outskirts of Kampala alongside his wife to a crowd of dancing and singing supporters.

“In 22 districts our teams are on the run because they are being surrounded and pursued by police and soldiers as if they are criminals,” he said.

Soldiers marched in Kamwokya, the crowded Kampala slum where Wine grew up and is hugely popular, while convoys of riot police patrolled the capital.