Ugandan opposition candidate Bobi Wine slams internet shutdown as Museveni 'vote rigging' attempt

Описание: (15 Jan 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kampala, Uganda - 15 January 2026
1. Various of Ugandan opposition candidate Bobi Wine arriving to cast his ballot, surrounded by supporters chanting his name
2. Various of Wine voting
3. Wine stamping his finger
4. Wine leaving surrounded by supporters
5. Various of Wine walking
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Bobi Wine, Ugandan presidential candidate:
"(The) Internet has been switched off across the country. This is done in order to facilitate the intended rigging of the regime, otherwise why would the people of Uganda be denied the right to communicate and why Ugandan elections should be held in the dark? As the election is ongoing many of our agents have been arrested and others are on the run. Our deputy president in charge of western Uganda, Jolly Jacklyn Tukamushaba, has been arrested and taken away to an unknown location. People that followed the car that picked her (up) told us that it drove towards the army barracks."
7. Mid of soldiers and voters
8. Supporters of Wine cheering and chanting UPSOUND (English) "People power"
9. Wine and his wife walking among crowds of supporters
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sharon Awino, Bobi Wine supporter:
"We are happy because of our next president. This is our new generation. We want him (Wine). We like him, and I am really so happy. Thank you."
11. Wine and his wife walking surrounded by security
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Husein Brian, Bobi Wine supporter:
"That's our new president. Yeah, he's coming up this time. Very sure, we are very brave and we are enough to win this vote, this election."
13. Various of police vehicle driving away
STORYLINE:
Ugandan opposition candidate Bobi Wine slammed an internet shutdown in the country as he cast his ballot on Thursday in the country's presidential election.

Uganda's internet was shut down Tuesday by the government communications agency, which cited misinformation, electoral fraud and incitement of violence.

The shutdown has affected the public and disrupted critical sectors such as banking.

"(The) Internet has been switched off across the country. This is done in order to facilitate the intended rigging of the regime, otherwise why would the people of Uganda be denied the right to communicate and why Ugandan elections should be held in the dark?," Wine said after voting in Kampala.

Uganda’s presidential election was plagued by widespread delays Thursday in addition to a days-long internet shutdown that has been criticized as an anti-democratic tactic in a country where the president has held office since 1986.

Some polling stations remained closed for up to four hours after the scheduled 7 a.m. start time due to “technical challenges," according to the nation's electoral commission, which asked polling officers to use paper registration records to ensure the difficulties did not “disenfranchise any voter.

President Yoweri Museveni, 81, faces seven other candidates, including Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, who is calling for political change.

The East African country of roughly 45 million people has 21.6 million registered voters.

Polls are expected to close at 4 p.m. Thursday, according to the electoral commission.

Results are constitutionally required to be announced in 48 hours.

Wine alleged there was electoral fraud occurring, noting that biometric voter identification machines were not working at polling places.


He did not comment on the allegation of fraud.

AP video shot by: Patrick Onen

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