Not less than seven people were killed overnight in central Uganda following Thursday’s election, which could see Yoweri Museveni clinch a seventh term in office.

Uganda police confirmed the killings on Friday as results announced by the country’s election umpire showed that Mr Museveni had polled over 75 per cent of the votes from 59 per cent of polling stations in Thursday’s presidential election.

Lydia Tumushabe, police spokesperson, claimed police responded to opposition “goons” mobilised to attack a police station and a vote-counting centre.

“Security responded in self-defence because these people came in big numbers. Police fired in self defence,” Ms Tumushabe told Reuters on Friday.

The police spokesperson said about 25 of the goons were arrested.

Mr Museveni, who assumed power in 1986, is gunning for a seventh term in office since the introduction of direct elections in 1996.

The Ugandan strongman has won every single election by a huge margin since the country started direct elections.

In 1996, Mr Museveni won his first direct election with 75.5 per cent of the vote. In 2001, he was re-elected with 69.3 per cent of the vote.

Mr Museveni secured a third term in office in 2006, winning the first multi-party election with 59 per cent of the vote.

In 2011 and 2016, he was re-elected with 68 and 60.7 per cent of the vote, respectively. Mr Museveni secured a sixth term in office in 2021 with 58.6 per cent of the vote to defeat his closest rival, Mr Wine.

A victory this time would see Mr Museveni extend his stay in power to over 40 years.