KAMPALA, Uganda (RNS) — As church bells echoed across Uganda’s capital at dawn, Mary Lunyolo whispered a prayer before opening her grocery stall in Owino Market. She plans to vote in Uganda’s general elections Thursday (Jan. 15), but she doubts whether her ballot will count amid allegations of rigging and a widening crackdown on opposition to the current president.
“I will vote because it is my right,” Lunyolo, a 33-year-old mother of three, said as she arranged tomatoes and onions on a wooden table. “But many people are afraid. We hear about arrests and blocked rallies. You wonder if the results are already decided.”
Her unease reflects a broader national mood as President Yoweri Museveni seeks a seventh term after nearly four decades in power. While Museveni is credited with restoring stability to the country after years of political turmoil, critics say his long rule has eroded democratic institutions, narrowed civic dialogue and entrenched a culture of fear.
The election run-up has unfolded under heavy security, marked by arrests of opposition supporters, restrictions on rallies and repeated warnings from human rights groups about the use of force by police and the military. The government says it is maintaining law and order, but many Ugandans say the measures have deepened mistrust.
As political tensions rise, Uganda’s religious leaders have become increasingly vocal, positioning …