Di musician and di strongman leader - wetin you need to know about Uganda election

As Ugandans go enta polls on 15 January, dem dey face di choice of electing one leader wey enta im fifth decade in power or supporting one candidate wey wan capitalise on di desire for change from some quarters.

81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni don dey office since 1986, e dey aim for seventh successive election victory.

Im main challenger, 43-year-old pop star wey turn politician Bobi Wine don promise revolution in governance and sweeping reforms.

Di campaigns dey marked wit disruption of opposition activities, wey include di detention of activists and police wey dey scata rallies.

Wit high rates of youth unemployment for kontri wia majority of di population dey under 30, di economy don bicom key concern for di campaign.

Wen be Uganda general election?

Di election go hold on Thursday 15 January. Polls go open at 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT) and close at 16:00. Dem go allow anyody wey dey queue for dat time to vote.

Wetin Ugandans dey vote for?

Di 21.6 million registered voters go take part in three elections:

Who fit be di next president?

Museveni and Bobi Wine na di two front-runners among di all-male list of eight hopefuls.

Dis na di second time dem go face each oda for di ballot box. Di president bin win di 2021 poll, wey dey marred by allegations of rigging plus crackdown on di opposition, wit 58% of di vote compared to Bobi Wine 35%.

Yoweri Museveni - National Resistance Movement (NRM)

Museveni bin first take power by force 40 years ago as di leader of one guerrilla army wey bin pledge to restore democracy afta years of civil war and di dictatorship of Idi Amin.

Pipo bin first see am as part of a fresh generation of African leaders wey go usher in a new democratic era, however, growing accusations of human rights abuses and harassment of opposition figures don spoil dat perception.

Critics tok say e don rule wit iron hand since e seize control and e don go back on pledges to step down. E be di only president wey most Ugandans know.

Currently di third longest-serving leader in Africa, Museveni don benefit from two constitutional amendments – e remove age and term limits – wey don allow am to keep running for office.

E argue say na only im be di sole guarantor of stability and progress.

Bobi Wine - National Unity Platform (NUP)

Pipo reason one-time hit maker Bobi Wine, wey im real name na Robert Kyagulanyi, as di strongest of di seven opposition candidates.

At a time, pipo nickname am as ghetto president", dem see am as pesin wey carry youthful aspirations for change and e enjoy strong support among young, urban, working-class voters.

Bobi Wine establish imsef as a serious contender five years ago, e come second and help restrict Museveni to di lowest share of di vote for any election e don contest. Bobi Wine NUP party bicom di largest opposition force in parliament.

Since dat vote, Bobi Wine don continue to face harassment from di security forces.

Di oda candidates na Frank Bulira, Robert Kasibante, Joseph Mabirizi, Nandala Mafabi, Mugisha Muntu and Mubarak Munyagwa.

Prominent opposition figure Kizza Besigye, wey bin run against Museveni four times, no fit take part for dis year election as e remain for jail on treason charges afta dem arrest am for neighbouring Kenya in 2024. E don deny any wrongdoing.

Wetin be di key concerns for voters?

Economic issues, particularly unemployment dey heavy on di minds of many as dem dey ready to vote.

Di average income per person dey slow but e don dey rise since di pandemic but enough jobs no still dey to match di high numbers of young people wey dey find work.

Concerns also dey ground about poor infrastructure and differences in access to quality education and healthcare.

Di kontri don however manage to avoid di spike in di cost of living wey don affect so many oda countries for di region and lead to pressure on dos in power.

Corruption is another major concern.

Uganda come 140th out of 180 countries on Transparency International annual Corruption Perceptions Index, wit widespread bribery and nepotism wey dey reported in govment institutions.

Di vote go dey free and fair?

Pipo don often condemn di way dem take carry out elections for Uganda.

Dis time around, officials tok say di vote go be free and fair but UN experts don warn say dat fit no be di case, as dem cite wetin dem describe as "pervasive climate of fear" for Uganda.

During di campaign period, opposition supporters bin face more harassment, wey include arrest on politically motivated charges, rights groups say.

Security forces scata Bobi Wine rallies, unlike dos of Museveni.

Amnesty International bin describe di use of tear gas, pepper spray, beatings, and oda violent acts as "a brutal campaign of repression" ahead of di vote.

Di govment say di measures dey necessary to ensure peaceful election and stop anyone from causing riots on election day.

Wen e come to di election itself, Bobi Wine don urge voters to stay for polling stations and safeguard dia ballots to help prevent vote rigging.

But election officials don say make pipo cast dia ballots peacefully and leave, as dem give assurance say di vote counting go dey transparent and party agents, di media and election monitors go observe am.

Critics, however, don question di independence of di electoral commission.

Despite govment denials, fears also dey based on previous experience, of internet shutdown during di election wey dey aimed at preventing pipo from verifying results. Di NUP tok say dem get vote-monitoring app wey fit overcome dis issue by using Bluetooth technology.

Wen we go know di results?

If everything go according to plan, kontri pipo suppose know di outcome of di presidential vote by 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday 17 January.

Dis na becos by law di electoral commission must declare di presidential result within 48 hours from di end of voting.

Polls go close at 16:00 local time on Thursday.

How di presidential vote dey work?

Di counting of votes suppose begin at each polling station as soon as voting close. Dem go transmit di results to one central tallying centre.

A candidate must gain more dan 50% of di votes cast nationwide to win di presidency for di first round, if not, run-off within 30 days between di top two candidates.

Museveni don always gain more dan 50% for di initial round of voting.