By Mulengera Reporters
Following President Yoweri Museveni’s recent assertions that more than two million of his votes were lost in the 2021 elections, the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) has provided details of how the alleged manipulation occurred.
The disclosure was made by PLU Secretary General (SG) David Kabanda during a press conference at PLU headquarters in Nagulu on Wednesday, December 17, 2015.
Kabanda said that post-election reviews conducted by the yellow camp found that while Museveni secured over six (6) million votes nationwide, a significant number of ballots were declared invalid under circumstances that, according to him, advantaged National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), who polled more than three (3) million votes. He explained that many of the invalid ballots were legitimately cast for Museveni but were rejected during counting due to marks or thumbprints extending beyond designated boxes.
Kabanda said this was compounded by deliberate interference from NUP supporters, who remained at polling stations after voting, creating pressure on NRM agents and Electoral Commission (EC) officials.
According to Kabanda, the presence of these crowds hindered agents from verifying disputed ballots and, in some cases, resulted in votes originally intended for Museveni, and other NRM candidates being reassigned to Kyagulanyi by agents acting under fear of confrontation. He said this combination of intimidation and technical invalidation contributed to a loss exceeding two million votes for the NRM candidate.
Kabanda stressed that the PLU considers these findings a confirmation of Museveni’s claims about vote manipulation in 2021. He added that lessons from the 2021 elections informed the PLU and NRM party’s approach to the 2026 polls, including directives for voters to leave polling stations immediately after casting ballots to prevent interference.
He emphasized that protecting the integrity of votes requires strict adherence to EC procedures and that the roles of accredited party agents, security personnel, and electoral officials must be safeguarded from external pressure. Kabanda warned that failure to implement these measures could compromise the transparency and credibility of future elections. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
