This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has vowed to hold public rallies during the 2021 General Election, despite a directive from the country's electoral commission.
According to Wine, the directive is an attempt by President Museveni to block him and other politicians from campaigning, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext.
Wine cited Section 21 (2) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005, which states that every candidate may hold individual public campaign meetings in any part of Uganda in accordance with any existing law.
He argued that countries with more COVID-19 cases and deaths are still holding public gatherings and conducting normal campaigns, and that the Ugandan government's directive is an overreach.
Wine also accused the electoral commission of not consulting all stakeholders when the regulations were passed, and of only consulting President Museveni, who he said is an interested party in the elections.
However, the electoral commission spokesperson, Jotham Taremwa, denied that they consulted President Museveni on the elections roadmap, saying they only discussed funding and office matters.
Wine's decision to defy the electoral commission's directive has sparked a debate on the role of the government and the electoral commission in the upcoming elections.
