On 24 June 2025, Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) confirmed that President Yoweri Museveni will seek re-election in January 2026.
Currently 80 years old, Museveni is Africa’s fourth-longest-serving leader, having taken office on 29 January 1986.
Furthermore, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi confirmed that Museveni will run for both president and party chair in 2026.
THE RISE TO POWER
Museveni became president in 1986 after a five-year guerrilla war against Milton Obote’s government.
Initially, many Ugandans and international observers praised Museveni for restoring stability and reviving the economy.
This followed years of authoritarian rule under former Presidents Idi Amin (1971–1979) and Milton Obote (1966–1971; 1980–1985).
He stayed in power by eliminating the presidential term limit in 2005 and the age limit in 2017.
According to Museveni, “Ideological clarity, not biological age, is what defines leadership.”
OPPOSITION SILENCED
Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, has announced his 2026 presidential candidacy against President Museveni.
Wine, who lost in 2021, says there was a lot of fraud and voter suppression in the election.
Opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains vocal against the government despite facing treason charges linked to a 2024 kidnapping.
Moreover, human rights groups (Amnesty International, etc.) have spoken out against the arrest and harassment of opposition leaders, stating that it is making democracy less strong.
POLITICAL CLIMATE IN UGANDA
On 16 June 2025, President Museveni signed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, which brought back military courts for civilians even though the Supreme Court ruled them illegal in January.
On 23 June 2025, lawyer and rights activist Dr Dennis Daniel Ssemugenyi filed a petition with the Constitutional Court to challenge the constitutionality of the 2025 Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) Amendment Act.
Furthermore, this has raised more concerns about the independence of the judiciary.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Ugandan government in May 2025 of silencing dissent through random arrests and threats.
Human rights groups (Freedom House, HRW, etc.) warn that Uganda is becoming more authoritarian under Museveni’s 39 years in power, even though the country’s infrastructure has improved.
SHOULD UGANDA REINSTATE TERM LIMITS TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11.
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