President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has accused the National Unity Platform (NUP), led by opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, of printing and importing millions of fake ballots during Uganda’s January 15, 2026 presidential election.
The President claimed that one million ballots were printed locally at Nkrumah Road in Kampala, while an additional 1.7 million were allegedly printed in Dubai and smuggled into Uganda.
According to Museveni, these actions were discovered after the previous election cycle and represented a deliberate attempt to manipulate the results.
“When you hear that there is opposition, there is no opposition in Uganda. It is just cheating,” Museveni said, addressing journalists and senior military officers on January 28, 2026. His statement reflected his frustration over what he described as large-scale electoral deception.
Museveni, who was declared the winner of the 2026 election with 7,946,772 votes, representing 71.65% of the total, credited the Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVK) for detecting and blocking fraudulent attempts. He said these machines helped secure his victory over Bobi Wine, who received 2,741,238 votes, or 24.72%, according to the Electoral Commission.
The 81-year-old leader emphasized that despite technical and coordination challenges during the deployment of the BVVK machines, the technology proved effective in key areas. He cited Bulambuli District as an example where the kits blocked attempts at vote manipulation.
Museveni reiterated concerns he first raised on election day, January 15, when widespread failures of the BVVK machines delayed voting in several parts of the country. These failures coincided with a nationwide internet shutdown, adding further tension to the process.
At his polling station in Rwakitura, Kiruhura District, Museveni himself experienced initial rejection by the BVVK machine and was later verified through facial recognition technology. The incident highlighted the challenges of relying on biometric verification amid technical limitations.
The President questioned whether these failures were accidental or deliberate. He suggested that some Electoral Commission staff may have failed to upload operator biodata to the devices on time, a situation he said could amount to sabotage. In response, Museveni ordered formal investigations into the technical breakdowns.
According to Museveni, the alleged fake ballots posed a significant threat to the integrity of the election. He claimed that without the BVVK machines, the 2.7 million fraudulent votes could have altered the outcome and undermined Uganda’s democratic process.
The allegations have intensified political tensions nationwide. Bobi Wine’s supporters have strongly rejected the claims, accusing Museveni and his administration of using the story to justify the government’s crackdown on opposition activities.
Critics say that the allegations about Dubai-printed ballots are difficult to verify and may serve as a political tool to delegitimize the opposition. They argue that such claims could inflame an already tense environment and increase mistrust between citizens and the electoral system.
Bobi Wine’s camp has also accused Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son and Chief of Defence Forces, of deploying the military to influence the vote. Following a night raid on his home in Magere on January 16, Bobi Wine went into hiding, and his current whereabouts remain unknown amid heightened political tension.
The use of the military in election-related activities has been criticized by human rights organizations and opposition groups. They argue that the presence of armed forces around polling stations can intimidate voters and skew results in favor of the incumbent.
Museveni defended the government’s use of security forces as necessary to maintain order during elections. He insisted that Uganda remains a peaceful country, but acknowledged that opposition tactics often create unnecessary disruption.
Observers note that allegations of fake ballots are not new in Uganda’s electoral history. Previous elections have also faced accusations of fraud and manipulation, though claims involving foreign printing and smuggling, as Museveni described, represent a new escalation.
The Electoral Commission announced Museveni’s victory officially on January 17, 2026, but the opposition immediately rejected the results as fraudulent. This rejection has fueled ongoing debates about transparency and credibility in Uganda’s electoral process.
Museveni’s claims about 1.7 million ballots printed in Dubai suggest an international dimension to the alleged fraud. If verified, such claims could have significant diplomatic implications, especially with authorities in the United Arab Emirates and other international election observers.
The President’s remarks also emphasized the role of technology in safeguarding elections. Despite challenges, he credited the BVVK machines for preventing large-scale manipulation and ensuring that the final results reflected the will of the people, in his view.
As political tension continues to rise, citizens are watching closely. Many are concerned about stability, while others are drawn into partisan debates over the legitimacy of the election and the credibility of both government and opposition claims.
Uganda now faces a critical period in which allegations of fake ballots, technical failures, and military involvement will dominate political discourse.
How the government and opposition respond in the coming weeks will shape the country’s political climate and determine whether tensions escalate or are managed peacefully.
The unfolding situation underscores the deep divisions in Uganda’s politics. With strong claims from both the incumbent and the opposition, public confidence in the electoral process is being tested, making transparency, accountability, and open investigation more important than ever.
