'We don't need lectures': Uganda President Museveni to foreign critics

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni reacted with defiance to international criticism of a government crackdown on the opposition and Facebook closing down the ruling party's account, two days before presidential and parliamentary polls. He said Uganda’s sovereignty should be respected.

"This is unfortunate but it is unavoidable. There is not way anybody can come and play around with our country, to decide who is good, who is bad, this one we will stop. We cannot accept that," Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda warned.

76-year-old Museveni further blamed the opposition, especially the musician turned politician Bobi Wine for not respecting the Covid-19 measures during his campaign rallies.

"Unfortunately some of our contesters did not follow the Covid regulations. They were defying the regulation of not congregating and they were gathering sizeable numbers of people which of course would facilitate infection," Museveni said.

Museveni also warned the opposition against inciting Ugandans against voting in the forthcoming election on Thursday the 12th. 

"There have been practices of intimidation where especially the opposition people have been threatening people not to come out and vote. In some areas they have even attacked peaceful citizens."

The vote on Thursday will come after one of the bloodiest campaigns in years, as veteran leader Yoweri Museveni seeks a sixth term against popstar-turned-MP Bobi Wine, who has managed to fire up a youthful population that has mostly known only one president.