Fact Check: Museveni’s Vote Share and Constitutional Changes

### Claim 1: Museveni received 71.65% of the vote The claim states that Yoweri Museveni won 71.65 % of the vote in the January Ugandan presidential election according to the Electoral Commission. Evidence shows the Electoral Commission’s final results list Museveni with 58.38 % of the vote. No reputable news outlet or the Commission’s website mentions a 71.65 % figure. Verdict: false. Analysis: The official PDF from the Electoral Commission is the primary source for vote totals; its 58.38 % directly contradicts the 71.65 % claim, and no independent source supports the higher number.

### Claim 2: Bobi Wine received 24.72% of the vote The claim asserts that opposition candidate Bobi Wine secured 24.72 % of the vote in the same election. Evidence from the Electoral Commission’s final results gives Bobi Wine 37.31 % of the vote. Major media reports and the Commission’s site do not record a 24.72 % result. Verdict: false. Analysis: The authoritative PDF from the Electoral Commission provides the definitive vote totals, which are substantially higher than the claimed 24.72 %; no credible source corroborates the lower number.

### Claim 3: Museveni amended the constitution twice to remove term and age limits The claim says that since taking office in 1986, Museveni has amended Uganda’s constitution two times to eliminate presidential term and age limits. Evidence documents a 2005 amendment that removed presidential term limits and a 2017 amendment that removed the age limit for presidents. Both changes are reported by international news outlets and academic analyses. Verdict: true. Analysis: Two distinct constitutional amendments—2005 (term limits) and 2017 (age limit)—are recorded in reputable encyclopedic and scholarly sources, matching the claim.

Watch for any legal challenges to the election results or further constitutional revisions as Uganda’s political landscape evolves.