The Electoral Commission has declared President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa the winner of Uganda’s 2026 presidential election, extending his rule following polls held on January 15.
Announcing the results on Saturday evening, Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama said Museveni had secured a decisive victory.
“The Commission hereby declares the candidate Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni as the President-elect,” Byabakama said.
“The Commission wishes to congratulate the people of Uganda on the successful conduct of the presidential elections, which concluded on 15th January 2026.”
According to the final results released by the Commission, Museveni polled 7,946,722 votes, representing 71.65 per cent of the total votes cast. The Electoral Commission said a total of 11,662,201 votes were cast nationwide.
National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Museveni’s main challenger, came second with 2,601,150 votes, accounting for 24.26 per cent of the vote.
Earlier provisional tallies issued during the counting process had indicated that Museveni was leading with over 7.6 million votes, translating to about 71.8 per cent, figures that were later adjusted following the final national compilation.
The Electoral Commission maintained that the 2026 polls were conducted in accordance with the law and reflected the will of the Ugandan people.
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