President Yoweri Museveni has said that the opposition manipulated an estimated 2.7 million votes in Uganda’s Buganda region during the 2021 general elections, blaming the loss on failures within the ruling party to protect its vote after polling.

Speaking while reflecting on the conduct and outcomes of the 2021 elections, President Museveni said the opposition exploited weaknesses in the vote-protection process, particularly after ballots had already been cast.

“The opposition rigged 2.7 million votes in the Buganda region during the 2021 elections, and the problem was on our side for failing to safeguard the votes after casting,” Museveni said.

The President noted that while the National Resistance Movement (NRM) mobilised support, gaps in election-day vigilance allowed opponents to interfere with results, especially at the tallying and transmission stages.

He says the use of the biometrics systems will do a lot in guarding against voter fraud as we near the general election day.

“This time, the process has been strengthened through biometric systems to prevent manipulation,” Museveni said

Museveni’s remarks come amid renewed emphasis by the ruling party on electoral reforms, voter protection mechanisms, and mobilisation structures ahead of future elections.

He has repeatedly urged party cadres and supporters to remain vigilant at all stages of the electoral process to prevent what he describes as organised manipulation by political rivals.

The Office of the NRM National Chairman will manage Vote Protection.

In simple terms, a biometric voting system works by using unique physical features of each voter—mainly fingerprints (and sometimes facial data)—to verify identity and prevent fraud during elections.