THE STANDARD
AFRICA
The run-up to Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections on January 14, 2021 has turned nasty and led to multiple fatalities.
The arrest of opposition candidate Bobi Wine in November 2020 sparked violent mass protests in Uganda, leaving at least 37 people dead and dozens injured.
As political tensions flare hours to the presidential and parliamentary race, here are some of the presidential candidates contesting Thursday’s vote.
Bobi Wine
Bobi Wine
(pictured), 38, is a popular musician cum lawmaker who has become a household name in Uganda and abroad, thanks to his music and the emergence of new media. He leads the National Unity Platform party and is Museveni’s most-prominent challenger.
Daily Monitor
Thursday January 14 2021
Summary
Pop star-turned-politician said he was confident that he had done enough despite a harrowing experience during electoral campaigns.
Opposition candidate also denounced the conduct of the country’s security forces in the run up to election day.
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National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has said he will reject Thursday s election results should the party deem the poll irregular.
“The party I lead owes respect to the outcome if elections are conducted independently, freely, fairly and tallied with nothing but absolute transparency,” he told NTV Uganda in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
THE STANDARD By
Betty Njeru |
January 12th 2021 at 13:16:48 GMT +0300
Uganda Presidential candidates Yoweri Museveni (left) and Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine. [Courtesy]
Uganda will be heading to the ballot on Thursday, January 14, for both presidential and parliamentary seats. The incumbent, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is seeking re-election, having ruled the country for 35 years.
Should he win, he will be serving his sixth term as president.
Here’s what you need to know about the polls:
Uganda s electoral law
Uganda votes for new leaders every five years. As such, their next General Election will be in 2026.
Presidential candidates need to garner at least 50 per cent of the vote to be declared winner of the elections. Failure, the country goes for a run-off election.
Daily Monitor
Tuesday January 12 2021
The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine addresses the media at Hotel Africana on Tuesday. Photo | Abubaker Lubowa
Summary
The 38-year-old popularly known as the ghetto president who hung up the mike to enter politics, added that one of his personal assistants was also violently arrested after security operatives raided his home.
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The National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has said two of his gardeners were arrested and his security guard badly beaten by security operatives who raided his home Tuesday morning. This morning two of my gardeners were arrested and my security guard was badly beaten, Bobi Wine told the media at Hotel Africana on Tuesday. He was joined with other opposition presidential candidates including; the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC s) Patrick Amuriat Oboi, the Alliance for National Transform