National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, has reiterated his call to voters to linger at polling stations after casting their ballots on January 15, 2026, to guard against rigging.
Bobi Wine said having voters near polling stations will benefit all competing candidates at all levels and wondered why some key players in the electoral process are opposing the idea.
‘I insist that my votes were rigged during the 2021 General Election. Gen Museveni also claims his votes were stolen. If all of us don’t trust the Electoral Commission, let voters remain near polling stations after voting to protect the votes,’ he said while addressing one of his two campaign rallies at St John Bosco Primary School Playground in Katende, Mpigi District, at the weekend.
‘Protest vote’ strategy
Since campaign rallies kicked off in late September, Bobi Wine has been calling upon his supporters to hang around polling centres to observe whatever happens there. To him, the strategy is meant to, among others, guard against vote rigging, which he and other Opposition leaders claim has featured prominently in past elections.
At a recent campaign rally, Mr Museveni, 81, who is seeking to extend his rule beyond 40 years, also claimed Bobi Wine’s party had stolen more than two million votes in the 2021 General Election in which he was declared the winner.
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), commanded by Mr Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the Electoral Commission (EC), chaired by Justice Simon Byabakama, have in the recent past asked Ugandans to leave polling stations immediately after casting their ballots on January 15, 2026.
Opposition politicians said the law allows voters to observe what is happening at polling stations from a distance. While addressing another rally at Mitala Maria Playground at the weekend, Bobi Wine referenced Section 32 (4) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005, noting the importance of adhering to electoral laws that ensure fairness.
‘We are not asking for any favour, let those with authority adhere to the law and ensure that this process is respected, free from intimidation or rigging,’ he said.
Bobi Wine also urged his supporters to prepare for a possible internet shutdown and to improvise how they will continue communicating on social media platforms without interruption.
‘They will do this so that you don’t follow what is going on elsewhere, but think about other ways of circumventing this,’ he added.
What the law says
According to section 31(4) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2010), voters are allowed to stay at least 20 metres from the polling station after casting their ballots.
National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi’s call has, in the recent past, been reinforced by several political commentators and a section of religious leaders who have questioned the intentions of the Electoral Commission and the army.