A senior aide to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has sparked widespread controversy after openly declaring that elections would not remove the long-serving leader from power.
In a viral video reviewed by SaharaReporters, Yiga Wamala, a Senior Presidential Adviser, dismissed the relevance of voter participation beyond casting ballots, claiming that citizens and party agents would not be involved in vote counting.
According to Wamala, voters should simply cast their ballots and leave polling stations, insisting that votes would be counted electronically without public oversight.
“Vote and go home. You will not count the votes,” he said. “You will not even see the votes being counted. Machines will do the counting.”
He further stated that access to collation centres would be restricted, allowing only candidates and a limited number of officials to be present.
Wamala ruled out any possibility of an opposition victory, particularly dismissing the chances of opposition leader Bobi Wine.
“Don’t even think that Bobi Wine will be announced. President Museveni will remain in power,” he declared.
He cautioned voters against believing that elections could unseat the 81-year-old president, urging them not to “waste their time” expecting change through the ballot.
The presidential aide also suggested that Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, is being positioned to succeed his father.
“After Museveni, Muhoozi is coming,” Wamala said, brushing aside criticism of a possible political succession within the president’s family.
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, is currently seeking a seventh term in office. When he first came to power, he famously warned against African leaders overstaying in power — a position critics say contrasts sharply with his decades-long rule.
Although Museveni initially gained public support after overthrowing autocratic regimes, his administration has faced increasing criticism over alleged corruption, shrinking democratic space, and authoritarian practices.
The remarks by Wamala have intensified concerns among observers and opposition groups about the credibility and transparency of Uganda’s electoral process.
