Many Ugandans skeptical, apprehensive heading in toward Election Day

Many Ugandans were doubtful about the fairness of the general election campaign and apprehensive about possible violence as they approached Election Day on Thursday, a new Afrobarometer survey shows.

In a survey in late December and early January, fewer than half of respondents considered the campaign a level playing field for all candidates, and a majority said that opposition parties and supporters were often silenced by the government.

Most citizens expected inaccurate vote counts and a disputed election outcome, and fully half expressed fear of political intimidation or violence, although most were confident that Uganda’s security agencies would be able to prevent large-scale outbreaks of violence.