President Museveni’s ballot delayed as voter machines fail nationwide, prompting facial recognition use and widespread polling disruptions.

Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections faced widespread disruptions on Thursday as technical failures and a nationwide internet blackout frustrated voters across the country.

Even President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has ruled since 1986, was affected by the malfunctions. At his polling station in Rwakitura Village, biometric voter identification machines failed to recognise his fingerprints. Election officials were forced to use facial recognition technology to verify his identity, allowing him to cast his vote.

“I put my right fingerprints on the machines, it didn’t work. I put my left fingerprints, it still didn’t work,” Museveni told reporters. “My face was scanned and accepted instantly. So, we will investigate why this happened and whether it was deliberate.”

The issues mirrored nationwide challenges, where many voters in Kampala and other regions queued for hours as machines failed, ballot papers were late, or polling equipment did not arrive on time. The Electoral Commission apologised for the “technical glitches” and confirmed that officials were working to resolve the problems.

Electoral chief Simon Byabakama instructed staff to use the national voters’ register wherever biometric kits failed, ensuring citizens could still vote. “It is the primary duty of the Electoral Commission to ensure that no citizen is disenfranchised due to machine failure,” he said. Polling hours will be extended as necessary to allow all voters in line by the official closing time to cast their ballots.

The internet blackout, imposed by Uganda Communications Commission ahead of the vote, was intended to prevent misinformation and electoral fraud. The UN human rights office condemned the measure as “deeply worrying.” Opposition parties, including Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), said the blackout was designed to hinder mobilisation and evidence collection. Wine launched an offline vote-monitoring app, Bitchat, which uses Bluetooth to transmit results without internet access.

Museveni is seeking a seventh term, facing main challenger Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old pop star turned politician. Analysts consider the race effectively a two-horse contest, though the president has historically maintained a strong advantage. Wine campaigned on promises to tackle corruption and implement reforms, while Museveni emphasised stability and continued progress.

Voting disruptions affected both government strongholds and opposition areas. Wine alleged widespread irregularities and claimed some of his polling agents were arrested. Meanwhile, security remained tight in Kampala, with armoured vehicles and patrols stationed at key points. Many residents opted to vote in rural areas, citing safety concerns.

Economic issues, including unemployment, high living costs, and disparities in access to education and healthcare, were major voter concerns. The elections also include contests for 353 parliamentary seats alongside the presidential vote. The Electoral Commission aims to announce presidential results by Saturday afternoon.

Thursday’s polls followed a campaign period marked by escalating tension. Opposition rallies were frequently disrupted by security forces, while the UN and Amnesty International reported politically motivated harassment, arbitrary arrests, and violent crackdowns.

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