The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer and incumbent President Museveni has accused opposition parties, mainly the National Unity Platform (NUP), of orchestrating vote rigging during the 2021 General Election .
According to Museveni the election fraud , was mostly done in Kampala where ballot stuffing and the printing of fake ballot papers was done .
Speaking late on Wednesday, Museveni, 81 said this practice of election fraud has been ongoing for many years and just escalated during the 2021 polls .
“So what has been happening now, not only last year, for a long time, the opposition in Kampala here, they have been ballot stuffing, but this time last, 2021 they went further and printed their own fake ballot papers in ku Nkrumah Road,” Museveni said.
Mr Museveni who seeks to extend his rule beyond 40 years alleged that millions of fake ballot papers were printed. He however didn’t provide evidence.
“Then there were the one million. Then they imported from Dubai 1.7 million. So altogether, they cheated 2.7 million,” he explained
The opposition has consistently rejected accusations of electoral fraud, instead alleging that security agencies and the electoral commission manipulate votes in favour of the NRM. National Unity Platform President Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has repeated challenged Mr Museveni to go to court if he has evidence to support his allegations .
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, said disputed elections posed a long-term risk to national stability, echoing warnings he said he has made since independence.
“So that’s why. Now the answer is from 1962 I’ve been telling people, you must not leave our children with the problem of contested elections,” he said.
The remarks follow Museveni’s decision earlier this year to order criminal and electoral investigations into the Kawempe North by-election, a Kampala constituency vote held amid violence and allegations of malpractice.
On March 16, 2025, Museveni announced probes into reports of ballot stuffing, destruction of ballot boxes, voter intimidation and illegal campaigning at polling stations.
In a statement issued at that date, Museveni said those responsible would be held accountable, stressing that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) would not tolerate electoral fraud. “To think that you can commit such crimes against the law and the people when the NRM is in charge of the country is the highest form of shallowness. We shall hold everybody accountable,” he warned.