Voters queue to vote at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, on Jan 14, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

KAMPALA - Uganda's presidential and parliamentary elections kicked off on Thursday with people in the east African country queuing up to cast their votes.

A total of 11 candidates, including incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, are vying for the presidency in what observers described as a hotly contested election.

Opinion polls put Museveni and Robert Kyagulanyi, a musician turned politician, as the major contenders

Opinion polls put Museveni and Robert Kyagulanyi, a musician turned politician, as the major contenders.

The country's Electoral Commission on Wednesday said the elections will close at 4 pm followed by vote counts.

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"All the districts in the country have received polling materials for tomorrow's (Thursday) election. The commission encourages voters to turn up at polling stations by 7 a.m. to witness the opening process," said Justice Simon Byabakama, chairperson of the Electoral Commission.

Byabakama said the commission will declare presidential election results within 48 hours after polling closes.

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The election campaigns, which started in early November amid a COVID-19 pandemic, registered scenes of violence as police and opposition supporters clashed over adherence to the coronavirus prevention measures.