Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been declared winner of Thursday’s presidential election, extending his four-decade grip on power by another five years.

Museveni, 81, first came to power in 1986 as a rebel leader and has since won seven elections. The latest victory further entrenches his position as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.

However, the poll has been strongly contested by his main challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who has rejected the outcome and called for non-violent protests across the country, although he has not provided details of how the demonstrations would be organised.

Authorities are yet to formally respond to Wine’s allegations of electoral malpractice. African Union election observers, however, said they found “no evidence of ballot stuffing” during the voting process.

The BBC reported that the election was marred by violence, with Wine, a 43-year-old former pop star turned politician, claiming that at least 21 people were killed in incidents linked to the polls in recent days. The authorities, however, have confirmed only seven deaths so far.

The election has also been overshadowed by a nationwide internet shutdown, which has been in place since Tuesday, making independent verification of events difficult. The Ugandan government said the blackout was imposed to prevent misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence.

The move has drawn criticism from the United Nations human rights office, which described the shutdown as “deeply worrying.”

Wine has demanded the immediate restoration of internet services, insisting that access to information is critical amid the disputed election outcome.