The ceremony comes following the bloodiest pre-election crackdown in years and widespread allegations of irregularities.
Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for his sixth time period as president, as police surrounded the house of Bobi Wine, his important opposition rival who decried the inauguration as a “sham”.
Museveni, who gained re-election in January regardless of widespread studies of irregularities, took the oath of workplace on Wednesday at a ceremony within the capital, Kampala, that was broadcast on nationwide tv and attended by a number of African heads of state and different international dignitaries.
The 76-year-old, carrying a darkish blue go well with and his trademark wide-brimmed hat, promised to “pay true allegiance” to the nation he has dominated nonstop since taking energy as a insurgent chief in 1986.
His victory in January was overshadowed by the bloodiest pre-election crackdown in years, with opposition candidates forcibly prevented from campaigning and dozens of protesters killed by safety forces.
Bobi Wine, who got here second to Museveni within the poll however declared the vote rigged, stated police and troopers had “besieged” his residence on the outskirts of Kampala and prevented him from leaving.
“Dictator Museveni is swearing in effectively conscious he stole the elections and disenfranchised Ugandans and he’s scared of individuals opposing the sham ceremony,” the 39-year-old singer-turned-lawmaker advised AFP information company.
“Even when he has sworn in, we’ll proceed the wrestle to dislodge him from energy by peaceable means and this may come quickly.”
Kizza Besigye, an opposition veteran who misplaced towards Museveni in 4 disputed and sometimes violent presidential elections, was additionally positioned underneath an efficient home arrest.
Police spokesman Fred Enanga described the measures as “regular” precautions taken to guard Bobi Wine and Besigye.
“There was intelligence studies that some individuals wished to trigger disruptions throughout the swearing-in ceremony and we took precaution to supply safety for some leaders, together with the opposition leaders together with Bobi Wine and Besigye,” he stated.
“That is regular safety deployment for VIPs.”
Nonetheless, Enanga additionally stated Bobi Wine was planning to carry a parallel swearing-in ceremony and this is able to be “unlawful and treasonous and police is not going to permit him to take action”.
Bobi Wine challenged the election lead to courtroom however later withdrew his petition, saying the judiciary was stacked in favour of Museveni.
In March, he had urged Ugandans to “stand up peacefully and unarmed” in protest towards Museveni’s ongoing rule. Because the election, the opposition has alleged that safety forces have been abducting their supporters.