KAMPALA - As dark clouds gathered overhead, young and old members of Uganda's long-embattled opposition gathered for prayers at the home of an imprisoned politician, the mood both defiant and bleak.
The mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago, told the gathering on Sunday that this week's election was a "face off" between ordinary Ugandans and President Yoweri Museveni.
"All of you are in two categories: political prisoners and potential political prisoners," he said.
Museveni is widely expected to extend his 40-year rule of the east African country in Thursday's election, thanks to his near-total control of the state and security apparatus.
The 81-year-old came to power as a bush fighter in the 1980s and has maintained a militarised control over the country, brutally cracking down on challengers.
The latest campaign has seen hundreds of opposition supporters arrested and at least one killed, with the police claiming they are confronting "hooligans".
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The main opposition candidate Bobi Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi, is rarely seen in public without his flak jacket and has described the campaign as a "war".
He has been arrested multiple times in the past and tortured in military custody.
The government was taken by surprise when Wine burst on to the political scene ahead of the 2021 election, becoming the voice of the urban youth, and responded with extreme violence.
Similarly, Tanzania's authoritarian government was caught unawares when protests broke out over rigging in last October's election, and security forces responded by killing hundreds.
The Ugandan government is better prepared now.
"For the last four-plus years, they have been building an infrastructure that can withstand any sort of pressure from the opposition," said Kagoro.
"We are used to the military and the police on the streets during elections."