Ugandans head to the polls amid tight controls, muted opposition

Supporters of Uganda’s incumbent president and National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni cheer during the party’s closing campaign rally ahead of the 2026 Ugandan general elections, in Kampala on January 13, 2026. (AFP)

As Ugandans line up to cast their ballots today in presidential and parliamentary elections, voting is taking place after an unusually tense and tightly controlled buildup.

The final hours before polling have been marked by suspension of civil society organisations, arrest of a prominent election governance expert, heavy security deployment, and a nationwide internet shutdown ordered just hours before polls opened. These developments have cast a long shadow over credibility of the electoral process.