"Voters queued at polling stations across Kampala as Uganda began manually counting ballots, with some residents eagerly awaiting their chance to participate, while others expressed their frustration. Footage shows locals casting their votes, with election officials seen checking voter lists and later counting ballots by hand under police supervision, a process which produced emotional exchanges and confusion over procedural issues. Some voters can be heard calling for political change, while others voiced disillusionment with the elections. One citizen said he did not participate, citing the cost of travel and what he perceived as a lack of true competition. "I didn't vote because I wasn't in my area of residence, and it would have cost me a lot of money to travel there," he explained. "Furthermore, the election didn't have meaning for me because all the aspirants went unopposed, including the local MP and the District woman MP. For me, I didn't think it was necessary to go and elect,” he added. During the counting process, disagreements emerged among observers over ballot validity. One local questioned spoiled ballots, saying officials claimed "someone checked the candy symbol," rendering a vote invalid. President Yoweri Museveni alleged that technical failures had affected biometric voter verification machines, accusing the opposition of attempting to manipulate the process. Museveni said facial recognition technology ensured voter identification, arguing fingerprints can be unreliable due to the human element in the process. Authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown ahead of the vote, saying the measure was intended to prevent misinformation and curb incitement to violence during the electoral process. Museveni, 81, has been in power since 1986 and is seeking a seventh term. His main challenger, opposition leader Bobi Wine, 43, has emerged as the leading opposition figure, drawing strong support among younger voters calling for political change."