This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
Uganda's long-serving President Yoweri Museveni has signalled a possible delay in the country's presidential election, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking in an interview with local NBS Television on Monday, Museveni, 75, stated that holding the election while the virus is still present would be 'madness.'
Uganda has recorded a relatively low case load of COVID-19, with 121 infections and no deaths, and has begun easing a strict national lockdown.
Although no date had been fixed for the 2021 election, it is typically held in February.
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has not confirmed whether he will run again, but the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has asked him to be their flagbearer.
The strongest opposition aspirant is pop star and lawmaker Bobi Wine, whose music endears him to the young.
Opposition leaders and rights groups have accused Museveni of cracking down on critics, with allegations of intimidation, detentions, torture, and tear-gassing of opposition rallies.
The government denies these allegations, stating that arrests are made to preserve the law.
Under the 45-day lockdown that authorities started to ease last week, most businesses were shuttered, public gatherings banned, schools closed, and movements largely curtailed.
Museveni's comments contrast with those in nearby Burundi, where campaigns are in full throttle ahead of a presidential election next week.
