Voting in Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections was disrupted by widespread delays on Thursday, with logistical problems compounded by an ongoing nationwide internet shutdown, election officials and observers said.
In several parts of the country, including the capital Kampala, polling stations opened hours late, leaving voters frustrated as they waited in long queues. The BBC reported delays of up to four hours at some locations, with voting only gradually getting under way later in the morning.
Election officials blamed the disruption on technical failures affecting biometric voter identification kits, as well as the late arrival of polling materials at some stations. Some observers linked the biometric problems to the internet outage imposed earlier this week.
Uganda’s Electoral Commission apologised for what it described as “technical glitches” and said efforts were under way to resolve the issues.
More than 21 million Ugandans are registered to vote in the election, which pits President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has been in power since 1986, against opposition leader Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old pop star-turned-politician, in what is widely seen as a two-horse race.
At several polling stations where voting did begin, reports emerged that biometric machines continued to malfunction, forcing officials in some areas to switch to manual voter verification using the national voters’ register.
“I’m angry because I have not voted up to now,” said Kaweesi Ismail, a voter in Kampala. “We were supposed to start at seven, but nothing has happened. The ballot papers are not even here.”
Some voters left polling stations without casting ballots, saying they could not wait indefinitely for the problems to be resolved. The disruptions appeared to affect both government strongholds and opposition-leaning areas.
Casting his vote in Rwakitura village in western Uganda, Museveni said he had also experienced difficulties with the biometric system. “I put my thumbprint on the machine but it did not accept it. However, my face was accepted instantly,” he said, adding that authorities needed to determine whether the problems were accidental or deliberate.
Opposition candidate Bobi Wine said in a post on X that biometric machines had “failed everywhere,” alleging widespread irregularities and the arrest of opposition agents as voting began.
Electoral Commission chairman Simon Byabakama authorised the use of the national voters’ register in areas where biometric equipment failed. While Ugandan law allows polling hours to be extended in the event of major disruptions, the commission did not explicitly announce an extension, though it said all voters already in line by 4:00 p.m. local time would be allowed to vote.
The internet shutdown, which began on Tuesday, was imposed by the Uganda Communications Commission, which said it was necessary to prevent misinformation, fraud and incitement to violence. The move was condemned by the United Nations human rights office as “deeply worrying.”
Wine’s National Unity Platform rejected the government’s explanation, accusing authorities of attempting to block opposition mobilisation and the sharing of evidence of electoral malpractice. The party said it had launched an offline vote-monitoring application using Bluetooth technology to transmit results forms without internet access.
The campaign period was marked by repeated disruptions to opposition activities. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, accused security forces of using excessive force against Wine’s supporters, including tear gas, beatings and arbitrary arrests. Police rejected the accusations, saying opposition supporters had been responsible for disorder.
Alongside the presidential vote, Ugandans are electing a new 353-seat parliament. For many voters, economic concerns dominate, particularly unemployment among young people in a country where the majority of the population is under 30.
The Electoral Commission said final presidential results are expected to be announced by Saturday afternoon.