Uganda’s Bobi Wine looks to unseat long-serving autocrat Museveni in fiery election

Navy personnel have been deployed throughout the capital, Kampala, to strengthen the police with columns of troopers patrolling suburbs amid fears the presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 14 may descend into violence.

The US has cancelled its commentary of Uganda’s presidential election as a result of most of its accreditation requests had been denied, and mentioned Thursday’s vote would lack accountability and transparency.

The announcement provides to a rising refrain of concern over the credibility of the election. Whereas earlier elections have been marred by crackdowns on the opposition, campaigning this time has been significantly violent. Scores of individuals have been killed and opposition candidates, supporters and marketing campaign employees have been repeatedly arrested and intimidated.

The European Union mentioned on Tuesday that the electoral course of had been critically tarnished by the extreme use of pressure and its supply to deploy a small workforce of electoral consultants was not taken up.

WATCH l CBC crew not allowed entry by Uganda:

A CBC Information crew was deported from Uganda regardless of having media credentials, as a contentious election approaches. It has already been marred by violent crackdowns on protesters. 2:31

A coalition representing lots of of Ugandan civil society organizations mentioned on Wednesday that it had filed 1,900 accreditation requests however solely 10 had been granted.

That follows related therapy for CBC journalists late final 12 months.

In a tv deal with on Tuesday night, the 76-year-old Museveni, who took energy in 1986, mentioned he had met with the safety forces they usually had been able to defend any Ugandans apprehensive about popping out to vote due to intimidation by the opposition.

“There isn’t any risk we can not defeat,” mentioned Museveni, sporting a navy camouflage jacket. “We’ve acquired all types of means, easy and sophisticated.”

Challenger Wine has been overwhelmed, arrested a number of occasions

Museveni additionally apologized for the inconvenience attributable to a ban on social media and messaging apps, however he mentioned Uganda had no alternative after Fb took down some accounts that backed his ruling Nationwide Resistance Motion (NRM) social gathering.

“If you wish to take sides in opposition to the NRM, then that group mustn’t function in Uganda,” he mentioned. “We can not tolerate this vanity of anyone coming to resolve for us who is sweet and who’s unhealthy.”

This week Elijah Mukiibi, a driver for Bobi Wine, was killed in unclear circumstances.

At 38, Wine is half Museveni’s age and the singer identified for catchy protest songs has attracted a big following amongst youthful individuals within the East African nation, the place 80 per cent of the inhabitants are below 30 and two-thirds unemployed.

LISTEN l Bobi Wine vows to press on regardless of obstacles, arrests:

In his songs, Wine, who grew up in a Kampala slum and whose actual identify is Robert Kyagulanyi, decries freedom fighters who’ve develop into dictators and the dearth of a peaceable transition.

Wine has pledged to create 5 million jobs and rein in graft he says has drained assets that may very well be invested in public companies and revive development on this nation of 46 million individuals.

Since campaigning started in November, safety forces have repeatedly damaged up Wine’s rallies with tear fuel, rubber bullets, beatings and detentions. Wine has been arrested a number of occasions and now campaigns in a helmet and flak jacket. In a single incident in November, 54 individuals had been killed as troopers and police quelled protests after Wine was detained.

“The fear, frankly, is unprecedented,” mentioned Kizza Besigye, a veteran opposition chief who challenged Museveni in 4 elections. “Violence, terror appear to be scaled up with each coming election. This election has witnessed untold violence. It will get worse and worse by the day.”

When Museveni seized energy in 1986 after a five-year guerrilla conflict, he was welcomed by Ugandans worn down by the murderous regimes of Milton Obote and Idi Amin.

However accusations of corruption, official extravagance, rights abuses and nepotism have step by step eroded assist for Museveni, particularly amongst youthful voters who want to Wine for change.

“Hospitals in Uganda died. Faculties are useless. Electrical energy is so costly,” mentioned David Kafero, a 35-year-old father of 4 who dropped out of faculty as a result of he could not pay the charges and calls himself a “ghetto boy” who will get by doing odd jobs.

Machinations to maintain Museveni in energy

Museveni has received each election for the reason that first below his presidency in 1996, although they’ve been tarnished by the intimidation of opposition candidates in addition to accusations of vote rigging. He calls Wine “an agent of international pursuits.”

Uganda is a Western ally, a potential oil producer and is taken into account a stabilizing pressure in a area the place conflict has plagued neighbours equivalent to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. It additionally contributes the largest contingent of an African Union pressure preventing Islamist insurgents in Somalia.

Older voters equivalent to Benon Kamoga, a 50-year-old father of 9, credit score Museveni, the fourth-longest ruler in Africa, with sustaining stability and plan to reward him on Thursday.

“We’ve safety and peace. I can get up in the course of the night time and go and do no matter enterprise I would like with none fear,” Kamoga mentioned.

In campaigns, Museveni trumpets his achievements in vitality and transport, equivalent to constructing hydro-power dams and roads and driving industrial enlargement. At one rally, he additionally did press-ups to reveal he was nonetheless energetic regardless of his age.

Uganda’s parliament, which is dominated by the NRM, has twice modified the structure to permit Museveni to run, first eradicating a two-term restrict in 2005 after which abolishing the age restrict of 75 in 2017.

Whereas opinion polls are few and much between, analysts say rampant unemployment, slowing financial development and surging public debt have fuelled youth disaffection with Museveni’s authorities.

“A complete era has come to develop below this regime and has come of age,” mentioned David Ngendo Tshimba, a tutorial on the Uganda Martyrs College. “‘One thing new is best’ looms massive for this era.”