National Unity Platform (NUP) lawyer and Kira Municipality Member of Parliament–elect, Counsel George Musisi, has strongly criticised the conduct of the 2026 general presidential elections, accusing the Electoral Commission (EC) of unpreparedness and presiding over a process marred by fear and intimidation.
Speaking on NBS Eagle on Sunday, Musisi said the elections, held nationwide on Thursday, January 15, 2026, fell short of democratic standards, with voters casting ballots in an atmosphere of uncertainty and coercion.
“The election was not well organized because the Electoral Commission was unprepared, and people voted in an environment of fear,” he said.
Musisi further revealed that NUP rejected the presidential results announced by the EC, citing a lack of transparency in the tallying process.
He said party officials sought clarification from EC Chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama regarding the source and verification of the results but received no satisfactory explanation.
“We didn’t agree with the presidential results because we asked Byabakama where the results were coming from, and we did not receive a clear answer,” Musisi said.
Despite the outcome, he maintained that NUP’s political strength has expanded nationwide and cautioned against drawing conclusions without a comprehensive assessment of the electoral landscape.
“NUP has grown across Uganda. It’s wrong to analyze results before seeing the full picture,” he said.
Musisi also alleged systematic disruptions during the electoral process, particularly in western Uganda, where several NUP coordinators were reportedly detained, affecting the party’s operations and voter mobilization efforts.
“Our coordinators were detained in western Uganda, which significantly affected our operations and ability to mobilize voters,” he said.
According to the final results announced on Saturday at the National Tally Centre in Lubowa, EC Chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama declared incumbent President Museveni the winner of the presidential race.
Museveni garnered 7,946,772 votes, representing 71.65 percent of the total valid votes cast, extending his leadership to a seventh term in office.
His closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu—popularly known as Bobi Wine—running on the NUP ticket, secured 2,741,238 votes, accounting for 24.72 percent of the total vote.
Musisi was also declared the winner of the Kira Municipality parliamentary seat, defeating long-time incumbent Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda. Ssemujju, who had represented Kira since 2011, was widely regarded as one of Parliament’s most outspoken and effective legislators. In the 2021 elections, he secured a commanding victory with 42,185 votes, winning in 185 out of 186 polling stations.
The announcement of the 2026 results has reignited debates and renewed calls from opposition figures and civil society groups for electoral reforms, transparency, and accountability in Uganda’s democratic processes.
