Yoweri Museveni is the winner of Thursday, January 15, presidential election, the Ugandan Electoral Commission has announced.

The 81-year-old former soldier was declared the winner with 71.6 percent against his main challenger, pop star musician Bobi Wine, who secured 24.7 percent.

Winning a seventh term in office, Museveni extended his 40-year rule of the East African nation.

Following the declaration by the election commission, his “visionary leadership, clear message and strategic execution right from the start of the campaigns all pointed to a clear victory.”

On Sunday evening, he gave a victory speech in which he promised a tough tenure.

“I’ll be harsh this term”, he said, going back in memory lane and citing reasons why he was voted in.

However, the main opposition party, the National Unity Platform, led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has denied the results.

Bobi Wine claims to have won the election. He has also shared video claims of alleged irregularities.

Bobi Wine escapes from security

On Friday, NUP declared that its leader, Bobi Wine, had been arrested and taken to an unknown location.

But the Ugandan Police, in a statement, said Bobi Wine was not arrested.  On Saturday, he released a video from an undisclosed location saying he managed to escape from the police and military deployed to his house.

“My wife and I have been under house arrest since the 15th of January, when we had the election,” he said, adding that his house was raided.

“I was able to use my skills and escape our house. I know they are looking for me, but if they succeed and get me, I want to say this. First and foremost, we reject whatever is being declared.”

He said the declared results are fake and don’t in any way reflect what happened at the polling station.

However, tension remains high on the streets of the capital, Kampala, and other parts of the country.

Security forces have been deployed across major city areas.

Internet restored

It is difficult to know exactly what properly transpired on election day in Uganda. A few days before the polls, the Internet was cut off as the government cited the spread of false information.

On Sunday, Reuters reported that it had been partially restored.

Museveni came to power in 1986 after leading an army that toppled the unpopular regime of Milton Obote.

Since then, he has maintained a full grip of power and is not ready to let go soon.