Museveni set to extend rule to over forty years
CAPTION: Cyclists ride past a campaign poster of President Museveni in Kampala June 25th, 2025. (Photo by Stephen Wandera Ouma).
By Stephen Wandera Ouma
KYADONDO – As Uganda gears up for the 2026 General Elections, President Yoweri Museveni is poised to formalise his candidacy for the position of National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the party’s presidential flag bearer according to a press statement issued Friday July 5th, 2025.
His nomination that will extend his rule to over four decades if he wines elections, is scheduled for Saturday, 5th July 2025, at the NRM Electoral offices.
Born on 15 September 1944 in Ntungamo, President Museveni is a Ugandan politician, military officer who has served as the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third-longest consecutively serving current non-royal national leader in the world (after Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea and Paul Biya in Cameroon).
He studied political science from the University of Dar es Salaam where he initiated the University Students’ African Revolutionary Front. In 1972, he participated in the abortive invasion of Uganda against the regime of President Idi Amin. The next year, Museveni established the Front for National Salvation and fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Tanzania–Uganda War, which overthrew Amin. Museveni contested the subsequent 1980 general election on the platform of Uganda Patriotic Movement, though claimed electoral fraud after losing to the unpopular Milton Obote. Museveni unified the opposition under the National Resistance Movement and started the Ugandan Bush War. In January 1986, after the decisive Battle of Kampala, Museveni was sworn as president.
As president, Museveni suppressed the Ugandan insurgency and oversaw involvement in the Rwandan Civil War and the First Congo War. He ordered an intervention against the Lord’s Resistance Army in an effort to halt their insurgency. His rule has been described by scholars as competitive authoritarianism, or illiberal democracy. The press has been under the authority of government. His presidency has been characterized by relative economic success and, in its later period, an upsurge in anti-gay activity alongside numerous constitutional amendments like the scrapping of presidential term and age limits in 2005 and 2017.
“A couple of months ago, President Museveni a series of comprehensive wealth creation tours across the country centred around the Parish Development Model (PDM), which the opposition say he was indirectly campaigning indirectly ahead of the 2026 polls,” reads the statement issued by Faruk Kirunda, Presidential Deputy Spokesperson.
“During these extensive tours, covering the 18 zones throughout the nation, local leaders and community members overwhelmingly urged President Museveni to continue in his leadership role as President and Commander-in-Chief. Many expressed a strong desire for continuity in leadership, emphasising the stability and progress that has characterised Museveni’s administration since he first took office in 1986,” it reads.
The enthusiasm surrounding Museveni’s candidacy reflects a widespread appreciation for the achievements made under his presidency, particularly in fostering a peaceful and stable environment that has enabled Uganda to flourish socioeconomically.
Adding, “Ugandans from various regions underscored how the peace cultivated over decades has been a fundamental pillar for growth across numerous sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and infrastructure development. In compliance with the NRM Electoral Commission’s requirements, all aspiring candidates for the position of Party Chairman and Presidential flag bearer are obliged to gather a minimum of 100 endorsement signatures from members of the National Conference in different regions.”
“By the time of writing, President Museveni had successfully secured the necessary endorsements, illustrating the overwhelming support he enjoys within the party and across the country. The endorsement process, along with the strong requests for him to keep leading, shows that party members and the wider Ugandan public want stability and progress to continue. As the NRM prepares for the nomination, there exists a strong sense of anticipation surrounding Museveni’s acceptance, which is expected to lay the groundwork for a vigorous electoral campaign. The excitement and hope for ongoing economic growth and national stability are firmly anchored in the belief that President Museveni is the best choice for leadership in the years to come,” it concludes.
