The digital darkness has lifted, but the political fog over Kampala remains thicker than ever.Following a contentious election that has seen President Yoweri Museveni declared the winner of a staggering seventh term, the Ugandan government has partially restored internet access, revealing a nation deeply divided.

The electoral commission’s announcement on Saturday credited the 81-year-old incumbent with 71.6% of the vote, leaving his main challenger, the pop-star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, trailing with just 24%. It is a result that extends Museveni’s four-decade rule, cementing his status as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders while raising fresh questions about the health of democracy in the East African Community.

The Magere Standoff

While the internet is back, normalcy is not.Magere, the northern Kampala suburb that Bobi Wine calls home, has become a flashpoint. Youths burned tyres and erected barricades moments after the announcement, prompting a swift and tear-gas-heavy response from the police. "We are being held hostage in our own country," Wine posted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after escaping a military raid on his home, his whereabouts currently unknown.

The partial restoration of the internet seems calculated to allow businesses to breathe while keeping a lid on opposition coordination. For the average Ugandan trader, the blackout was a financial tourniquet; for the opposition, it was a blindfold.

• Regional Implications: President Ruto has already sent congratulations, a diplomatic necessity that underscores the complex brotherhood of East African leaders. However, the instability next door is a headache Nairobi could do without, given the flow of trade across the Busia and Malaba borders.
• The Generational Divide: This election was framed as the "Grandfather vs. the Grandson." The result suggests the grandfather still holds the stick, but the grandson has captured the imagination of the youth—a demographic that cannot be silenced indefinitely.

What Next for the Pearl?

Government officials dismiss allegations of torture and illegal detention as propaganda, insisting that detained supporters violated the law. But with Wine in hiding and the military patrolling the streets, the "peace" in Kampala feels fragile.

Museveni has won the vote count, but winning the hearts of a restless, connected, and aggrieved youthful population may prove to be a battle he cannot win with ballots or bullets.