Over 100 supporters of Uganda’s main opposition party have been formally charged with election-related offences following violent clashes during last week’s presidential vote, according to court documents and party officials. The charges, filed in Kampala on Monday, include unlawful assembly, conspiracy and unlawful possession of election materials, authorities and opposition lawyers said.
The suspects, most of whom the National Unity Platform (NUP) says were legitimate polling agents, appeared in various magistrate’s courts across the capital. “The majority of them were polling agents, they even had their letters confirming that they are polling agents of NUP,” NUP lawyer Kato Tumusiime told local media, denying involvement in violent activity.
The charges come after President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of the Jan. 15 election with 71.6 percent of the vote, according to official results, extending his nearly four-decade rule. Opposition leader Bobi Wine, whose party received about 24 percent of ballots, has rejected the outcome as fraudulent and accused security forces of intimidation, ballot-stuffing and other irregularities.
Protests erupted across parts of the country following the announcement of the results, but police swiftly moved to suppress demonstrations, deploying tear gas and making additional arrests. The United Nations Human Rights Office previously reported concerns over the use of excessive force and arbitrary detentions by Ugandan security personnel around the election.
Wine’s current whereabouts remain unclear after he said he fled a military raid on his home earlier in the week. Party officials say they have not been able to establish contact, intensifying fears among supporters about his safety and the broader political climate.
Originally Published by Reuters
Disclaimer: Content is based on reports from external news agencies, with full credit to original publishers.
Editorial Desk is the official editorial byline of The Global Confluence, used for staff-written reports, news updates, and institutional analysis produced in line with the publication’s editorial policies and standards.