Uganda’s President Museveni to Seek Seventh Term, Nearing 50 Years in Power
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has formally declared his intention to seek a seventh term in office on Saturday, a move that could extend his rule to nearly five decades.
The 80-year-old leader, who has been in power since 1986, picked up his nomination forms at the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) headquarters in Kampala, where he was met by a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters.
Despite growing calls for his retirement, Museveni has remained defiant. Critics accuse him of tightening his grip on power and steering Uganda toward authoritarian rule, with little to no internal dissent tolerated within the NRM.
Museveni initially came to power as the head of a rebel movement that ousted a military dictatorship. He has since been elected six times, although recent elections have been tainted by allegations of vote rigging, violence, and intimidation of opposition candidates and supporters.
His main challenger in the upcoming 2026 election is expected to be Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, a singer-turned-politician who also contested the 2021 election.
Wine has faced repeated arrests, and many of his associates have been jailed or forced into hiding amid widespread crackdowns by security forces. He continues to campaign peacefully and has dismissed government accusations of foreign influence.
Museveni has frequently portrayed Wine as a destabilizing figure, accusing him of being a tool of external forces, while Wine insists he represents the democratic aspirations of ordinary Ugandans.
Ironically, Museveni once criticized African leaders who overstayed their welcome in office. Yet in 2017, Uganda’s parliament removed presidential age limits from the constitution, widely seen as paving the way for Museveni’s continued stay in power. Speculation about dynastic succession has grown as Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country’s army chief, has publicly expressed interest in succeeding his father.
Meanwhile, long-time opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye remains in detention on treason-related charges his legal team says are politically motivated. A former military officer and founding member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Besigye has been one of Museveni’s most persistent critics over the past two decades.
As Uganda heads toward the 2026 polls, concerns remain over the country’s democratic trajectory, political freedoms, and the prospects for a peaceful transition of power.
