Uganda After Its Troubling Elections

S2 Episode 11: Uganda After Its Troubling Elections

Last month’s elections in Uganda saw President Yoweri Museveni clinch another six years to his rule that began in 1986, a win marred by controversy and violence. The widespread crackdown on the opposition, civil society and protests prior to the vote was the clearest sign yet that the incumbent regime’s days in power may be numbered. 

Joining Alan Boswell to take a closer look at what happened and what’s to come in Uganda is Daniel Kalinaki, Africa editor at Nation Media Group and managing editor of The East African. He explains to Alan that a record-low voter turnout and opposition leader Bobi Wine’s popular appeal both indicate that the country’s citizens, particularly the urban youth, are growing disillusioned with the status quo.

Together they unpack the big questions this reality raises, including the complicit role of foreign interests in Uganda’s democratic backsliding, the inevitable prospect of succession and what future political turmoil would mean for the restive region in which Uganda has long been an unusual anchor of relative stability. 

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more information, read our recent Q&A: Uganda’s Museveni Clings to Power – But Trouble Lies Ahead.