At Least Seven Killed in Uganda as Vote Counting Continues After Presidential Election

At least seven people were killed overnight in central Uganda as vote counting continued following the country’s presidential election, according to local authorities.

The deaths were reported in Butambala district, approximately 55 kilometers southwest of the capital, Kampala. Police said violence erupted after a group of opposition supporters attacked a police station and a vote-tallying center, prompting security forces to respond. Twenty-five people were arrested, police added.

An opposition lawmaker from the area, Muwanga Kivumbi, rejected the police account, stating that several people were shot inside his residence while awaiting the announcement of parliamentary election results. He described the incident as a deadly attack carried out by security forces.

The violence occurred as Uganda’s Electoral Commission released provisional results indicating that President Yoweri Museveni was leading with more than 76 percent of the vote from nearly half of polling stations counted. His main challenger, opposition leader Bobi Wine, had secured about 20 percent, with the remainder shared among other candidates.

Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said security forces had surrounded his home following the vote, effectively placing him under house arrest. He also alleged widespread irregularities in the election process.

The election was conducted amid an internet shutdown and heightened security measures, drawing criticism from the United Nations and international human rights organizations, which have raised concerns about transparency and political freedoms.