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Members of Uganda’s opposition gathered for prayers on Sunday at the home of an imprisoned politician as the country heads into a tense election widely expected to extend President Yoweri Museveni’s decades-long rule.
Addressing the gathering, Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago described Thursday’s vote as a direct “face-off” between ordinary Ugandans and Museveni.
“All of you are in two categories: political prisoners and potential political prisoners,” Lukwago said.
Museveni, 81, is expected to win another term after nearly 40 years in power, backed by firm control over state institutions and the security forces. A former guerrilla fighter who seized power in the 1980s, he has maintained a highly militarised system of rule and has repeatedly cracked down on political challengers.
The current campaign has been marked by violence and mass arrests. Hundreds of opposition supporters have been detained, and at least one person has been killed. Police say they are responding to “hooligans”, a claim disputed by rights groups.
The leading opposition candidate, Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has described the campaign as a “war”. He is rarely seen in public without a flak jacket and has been arrested multiple times in recent years. Wine has previously said he was tortured while in military custody.
Another prominent opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, was kidnapped in Kenya in 2024 and secretly transferred to a Ugandan military prison, where he is facing treason charges. The case has dragged on for months.
Sunday’s prayer meeting was hosted by Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, who said Uganda’s democracy exists largely in name only.
