President Yoweri Museveni declared winner of Uganda's presidential election

President Yoweri Museveni has won Uganda’s presidential election, the electoral commission said on Saturday, cementing his 30-year grip on power in the East African nation.

“The commission declares Yoweri Kaguta Museveni elected President of the Republic of Uganda,” commission chairman, Badru Kiggundu, said. Museveni won 60.8 percent of the vote, while his main challenger, Kizza Besigye, won 35.4 percent.

VIDEO: Electoral Commission declares Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as president elect in the 2016 elections. #UgandaDecides pic.twitter.com/ufzC4lqGkG

— NBS Television (@nbstv) February 20, 2016

Meanwhile the opposition has rejected the results calling the election a “sham”. Main opposition candidate, Kizza Besigye, in a statement called for an independent audit of the results.

“We have just witnessed what must be the most fraudulent electoral process in Uganda,” Besigye said in the statement.

BREAKING: From inside his besieged home, Kizza Besigye rejects election outcome, calls for independent audit of results #UgandaDecides

— NBS Television (@nbstv) February 20, 2016

European Union and Commonwealth observers have criticised the poll and Besigye’s camp had already disputed the preliminary results.