"Uganda will soon congratulate Nkurunziza successor upon election"- says Foreign Affairs Ministry

Government has said they were waiting for the declaration of official results before congratulating the new Burundian President.

The ruling party’s candidate, Evariste Ndayishimiye won last week’s polls in Burundi to replace Pierre Nkurunziza.

However, in a statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Ambassador Moses Kalule Kasujja, the Ugandan government is yet to send a congratulatory message to the new president as it awaits an official declaration by Burundi’s electoral body.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to draw to the attention of the public that there is false information circulating on social media to the effect that the government of Uganda has congratulated Mr.Ndayishimiye Evariste following the recent general elections in Burundi,”Kasujja said in a May,26 statement.

He added: “This information is false, misleading and should be disregarded. The government of Uganda will make its position known after the declaration of the official results of the elections in Burundi.”

Burundi’s electoral body on Monday declared party’s Evariste Ndayishimiye, as the winner of the country’s presidential election last week .

The retired army general won 68.72% of the votes, while his closest rival, also the main opposition leader, Agathon Rwasa, managing only 24.19% of the votes.

Ndayishimiye will now replace Nkurunziza who has led the country since 2005.