Uganda’s 80-year-old president in bid to extend 40-year rule
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President Yoweri Museveni speaks after being nominated as the NRM's presidential candidate for the 2026 election.
Uganda’s Museveni Set to Extend 40-Year Rule with 2026 Presidential Bid
President Museveni, 80, confirmed as ruling party candidate, drawing criticism from opposition and rights groups
Kampala, Uganda – President Yoweri Museveni, 80, has officially been declared the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate for Uganda’s upcoming 2026 presidential election, signaling his intent to extend his grip on power into a fifth decade.
Museveni, who took power in 1986 as a rebel leader, is already one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. His confirmation as the NRM candidate follows constitutional changes that removed both term and age limits, allowing him to seek re-election indefinitely.
In his acceptance speech at the party conference on Saturday, Museveni said he had “responded to the call” and would continue his work to transform Uganda into a high middle-income country.
“Other countries in Asia with fewer natural resources did it. We can do it,” Museveni said, urging Uganda not to “miss the bus of history.”
A Legacy of Power and Controversy
Critics accuse Museveni of ruling with an iron fist, pointing to persistent election irregularities, human rights abuses, and a crackdown on dissent. He has won every election since 1996, many of which were marred by allegations of vote rigging and intimidation of opposition figures.
The opposition is again expected to rally behind Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi. Wine told the BBC in April that he would contest the election if nominated by his National Unity Platform (NUP), though he warned that state repression is making opposition work increasingly dangerous.
“Being in the opposition in Uganda means being labelled a terrorist,” Wine said.
In the last election held in 2021, Museveni won with 59% of the vote while Wine secured 35%. That poll was condemned by observers for its lack of transparency, brutal crackdown on opposition, and internet blackouts.
Another longtime opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, remains in detention after being accused of treason last November — a charge he denies as politically motivated.
Calls for Change vs Calls for Stability
Museveni has maintained that his leadership brought peace and economic progress, contrasting Uganda’s present with the turbulent post-independence years. He insists that stability under his rule is essential for long-term development.
Yet opposition and civil society leaders argue that Museveni’s continued rule reflects democratic backsliding, with intensified surveillance, arbitrary arrests, and militarization of politics becoming the norm.
Uganda’s next presidential election is scheduled for January 2026.
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