Uganda's fraudulent election

Abstract

In January 2021, Uganda's president and ruling party were returned to power in an election that was the most violent and least fair in the country's history. The electoral performance of the opposition nevertheless exposed significant weaknesses in the regime's grip on power and demonstrated its lack of support and legitimacy among Uganda's large urban youth population. This article analyzes the fraudulent tactics employed in the election. It argues that Uganda is likely to witness an increasingly bitter and brutal contest between the militarist regime and the citizenry, and that the country's militarized politics calls into question a donor model that prioritizes security over democracy.