2016 Ugandan General Elections: All About Perspective

The 2016 Ugandan general elections resulted in a victory for President Museveni with 60.75% of the vote, a result widely anticipated by observers. The process was characterized by violent rhetoric from both the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the opposition, as well as the house arrest of main opposition leaders. While civil society had campaigned for substantive reforms to the Electoral Commission and legislation since 2013, the author notes that only 'cosmetic alterations' were made. The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) found that shortcomings in the process undermined 'electoral integrity'. Despite these irregularities and high youth unemployment (estimated at 64% for those aged 18-30), the electorate remained largely peaceful, suggesting a prioritization of stability over the belligerent campaign style of opposition leader Besigye.

• President Museveni won the 2016 election with 60.75% of the vote, while former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi received a significantly lower share of 1.43%.
• The electoral process was undermined by systemic issues, including the fact that the Electoral Commission and Courts consist of direct presidential appointments who serve at his pleasure, and the house arrest of primary opposition leaders during the announcement of results.
• Efforts by Ugandan civil society since 2013 to secure substantive revisions to election legislation, the Electoral Commission, and the role of security forces were unsuccessful, resulting only in 'cosmetic alterations' such as biometric voter verification kits.
• The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) concluded that observed shortcomings during the elections were inconsistent with Uganda's legal framework and undermined 'electoral integrity'.
• Uganda faces severe economic challenges for its youth, with estimates indicating that 64% of citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 are unemployed.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2016). 2016 Ugandan General Elections: All About Perspective. https://saiia.org.za/research/2016-ugandan-general-elections-all-about-perspective/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. 2016 Ugandan General Elections: All About Perspective. 2016. https://saiia.org.za/research/2016-ugandan-general-elections-all-about-perspective/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=2016 Ugandan General Elections: All About Perspective |date=24 February 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/2016-ugandan-general-elections-all-about-perspective/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs20162016, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{2016 Ugandan General Elections: All About Perspective}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/2016-ugandan-general-elections-all-about-perspective/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }