Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni extended his three-decade rule on Saturday, winning a fifth term with 60 percent of the vote in the country’s election, poll officials said.
“The commission declares Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the elected President of the Republic of Uganda,” Election Commission chief Badru Kiggundu said as he read results.
President Museveni garnered 5,617,503 votes equivalent to 60.7 per cent of the votes cast.
Mr Museveni’s closest rival, Dr Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change, managed 3, 270, 290 votes equivalent to 35.37 per cent of the total votes cast.
The results have been rejected as fraudulent by Besigye’s party, which issued a statement ahead of the final results.
Besigye himself was under house arrest as the final tally was announced.
Out of 15, 277, 198 voters in a political contest characterised by unprecedented delay and reports of ballot stuffing in some parts of the country, 10 million turned up.
A total of 5,575,461 voters either chose to stay home or were disenfranchised as a result of the delays that marred the elections.
Dr Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential contender and the FDC candidate garnered 3,270,290 votes, representing 34.18 per cent of the total votes cast.
This result is an improvement from 26 per cent Dr Besigye scored during the 2011 general elections.
Museveni, 71, has been in power since 1986.
