“On the eve of Uganda's presidential elections, Kampala resembles an armed camp with armored vehicles and police patrolling the capital city's streets. President Yoweri Museveni, in power for 30 years, is facing his tightest race ever and appears to be responding with a show of military force in Kampala. His main challenger, Kizza Besigye, has run against Museveni four times and this time he has drawn large, enthusiastic crowds to his rallies despite some harassment by police. One of Besigye's supporters was killed and scores injured earlier on Monday as security forces dispersed a rally in Kampala. Museveni, 71, remains popular in some parts of rural Uganda, where he is seen as a father figure and is beloved by those who remember his time as a guerrilla leader fighting a dictatorship. He came to power in 1986 and pulled Uganda out of years of chaos. Museveni is widely credited with restoring peace and presiding over economic growth. He is also a key U.S. ally on security matters, especially in Somalia, where Ugandan troops form part of an African Union force protecting the Somali government from Islamic extremists.

But some of Museveni's critics describe him as a dictator and accuse him of wanting to rule for life. Museveni has never said when he might retire, although his aides say there will be a smooth succession within the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement, when the time comes, and deny persistent accusations that Museveni is grooming his son – an army brigadier who commands the country's special forces – to succeed him. Besigye, 59, served as Museveni's personal physician in the bush war and when the rebels came to power he became a minister in Museveni's cabinet and a colonel in the army. He broke away from Museveni in 1999, criticizing him for being authoritarian. A recent poll, carried out by the group Ipsos, put Museveni's support at 53 percent. That survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, found that 28 percent of likely voters support Besigye. Some analysts say the race is tighter than what the poll indicates”. – Rodney Muhumuza via The Associated Press



A girl walks past campaign posters for long-time President Yoweri Museveni, as well as for local members of Parliament, on a street in Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. On the eve of presidential elections, a heavy police and military presence could be seen in the capital Kampala. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





Boys play football and practice balancing tricks in front of a wall plastered with campaign posters for opposition leader Kizza Besigye, as well as for local members of Parliament, in a poor market area of the capital Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





Uganda's long-time President Yoweri Museveni waves to supporters from the sunroof of his vehicle as he arrives for an election rally at Kololo Airstrip in Kampala, Uganda Tuesday, February 16, 2016. Opposition leader Kizza Besigye, in a close race with Museveni, said Tuesday he does not believe the election will be free and fair. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





Pedestrians walk past campaign posters for long-time President Yoweri Museveni, as well as for local members of Parliament, on a street in Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





A boy practices balancing tricks in front of a wall plastered with campaign posters for opposition leader Kizza Besigye, as well as for local members of Parliament, in a poor market area of the capital Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





A woman sits against a wall plastered with campaign posters for opposition leader Kizza Besigye, as well as for local members of Parliament, in a poor market area of the capital Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





A man pushes his bicycle laden with wood past campaign posters for long-time President Yoweri Museveni, as well as for local members of Parliament, on a street in Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





Opposition leader Kizza Besigye speaks to the media at his residence in the town of Kasangati, outside Kampala in Uganda Tuesday, February 16, 2016. Besigye, who is in a close race with long-time President Yoweri Museveni, said Tuesday he does not believe the election will be free and fair. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





An armed Ugandan riot policeman patrols past campaign posters for long-time President Yoweri Museveni, as well as local members of Parliament, on a street in Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





An armed Ugandan riot policeman patrols past campaign posters for long-time President Yoweri Museveni, as well as local members of Parliament, on a street in Kampala, Uganda Wednesday, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)





People board buses in Uganda's capital Kampala February 17, 2016, a day ahead of the presidential election. (Photo by James Akena/Reuters)





People board buses in Uganda's capital Kampala February 17, 2016, a day ahead of the presidential election. (Photo by James Akena/Reuters)





A man walks past police crowd control armored vehicles parked in Uganda's capital Kampala February 17, 2016, a day ahead of the presidential election. (Photo by James Akena/Reuters)