Demanding an independent audit of the results, Besigye said: “We have just witnessed what must be the most fraudulent electoral process in Uganda”.
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The Kampala office of opposition leader Besigye under guard. He described Friday’s arrest of Besigye at his party headquarters as “unacceptable” and said the authorities’ block of some social media had curbed freedom of expression.
Besigye went further, telling AFP news agency that he was detained when on the verge of busting an alleged police-run election rigging operation.
US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone with Museveni to emphasize that Uganda’s progress depended on “adherence to democratic principles in the ongoing election process”.
Although Mr Museveni, 71, won a clear victory, his popular vote margin in several battleground districts was very thin and results from 1,787 polling stations were left out because of the 48-hour- deadline.
They fought together in a bush war to overthrow Uganda’s first post-independence leader Milton Obote, during which Besigye served as Museveni’s trusted personal physician.
He was arrested during his campaign, again on Thursday evening and was put under house arrest on Friday, with police saying they wanted to prevent him from publishing his own results – forbidden under the country’s electoral laws.
Veteran leader declared victor with 60 percent of votes in election marred by violence and allegations of ballot fraud.
A convoy of Ugandan military officers on an army truck drive through Kireka, a Kampala suburb, on February 20, 2016, moments after the electoral commission announced President Yoweri Museveni as the victor of the presidential election.
The opposition politician also revealed that he had been placed under house arrest.
He was followed by the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s Kizza Besigye who won over 3.2 million votes, making up 35.37 percent.
Meanwhile, president Banda told a press briefing earlier that Uganda would have to improve the legal framework and the respect of the fundamental political rights.
The opposition had tried to faucet into mounting anger amongst younger voters, particularly in city areas, the place unemployment is excessive and lots of are annoyed by the poor state of faculties and hospitals.
Brenda, 23, from Kampala said: “I have never seen another president and it seems it will be like that until he dies”.
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Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) party issued a statement celebrating the win.
