Bobi Wine warns of protests if Uganda election is rigged

Uganda’s opposition leader Bobi Wine has warned he will call for mass protests if President Yoweri Museveni rigs this week’s presidential election, as more than 20 million Ugandans prepare to vote on Thursday.

“We have said it many times, that if General Museveni rigs the election, we shall call for protests,” Wine told AFP, saying the opposition has urged citizens to “take charge” of the vote. He said the election itself has been “codenamed a protest vote.”

Museveni, 81, is widely expected to extend his nearly four decades in power, backed by firm control of the state and security forces. His main challenger is Wine, 43, a singer-turned-politician running for president for the second time after his 2021 campaign was marred by violent repression and allegations of fraud.

Wine insisted the opposition is winning popular support but questioned whether power would be peacefully transferred. “Are we taking power? That’s a question for the population, the international community, and for General Museveni, who is holding power using the gun,” he said.

Rights groups including the United Nations and Amnesty International have accused Ugandan authorities of cracking down on dissent ahead of the vote, citing arrests of Wine’s supporters. Wine acknowledged protests could trigger further violence but said non-violence remains key, adding that even “violent regimes get thrown out by protests.”

Large, youthful crowds have continued to rally behind Wine in Kampala, reflecting wider regional anger in East Africa over shrinking democratic space and lack of economic opportunities.