President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, has officially declared his intention to run for a seventh term in the upcoming January 2026 general elections. The announcement was made by Dr. Tanga Odoi, the chairperson of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) electoral commission, confirming that Museveni will pick up his nomination forms on June 28 to contest both for party chairmanship and the presidential flagbearer position.
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, is now 80 years old. His continued reign has been enabled by key constitutional amendments over the years — notably the removal of presidential term limits in 2005, followed by the scrapping of the presidential age cap in 2017, which allowed him to seek reelection beyond the age of 75.
Museveni has defended his long tenure by pointing to historical and international figures like Winston Churchill and Deng Xiaoping, arguing that leadership should be based on capability and vision, not age. “Leadership is not about biological age but ideological clarity,” he stated in a recent speech. His supporters argue that under his leadership, Uganda has enjoyed relative stability and economic progress, particularly in infrastructure and regional diplomacy.
However, Museveni’s seventh bid for the presidency is set against a backdrop of increasing opposition, spearheaded by Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine — a pop star-turned-politician who ran against Museveni in the highly contentious 2021 elections. Bobi Wine has confirmed he will contest again in 2026 “if I am still alive and not in prison,” referencing continued state repression of opposition figures and supporters.
“We don’t expect the coming elections to be better,” Bobi Wine recently said, citing a pattern of intimidation, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of political opponents in the previous election cycle.
Political analysts and human rights observers are raising concerns about Uganda’s increasingly authoritarian landscape. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Early Warning Project recently listed Uganda among countries at high risk of mass atrocities, given the persistent crackdown on civil liberties and opposition groups.
Fueling further concern is General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son and senior presidential advisor. Though once rumored to be a possible successor, Muhoozi has recently walked back such speculation, supporting his father’s 2026 candidacy. However, his erratic behavior and controversial social media outbursts — including threats toward opposition figures — have sparked fears about Uganda’s political future.
Despite Museveni’s strong grip on power, public opinion may be shifting. A recent national survey by Research World International showed that 71% of Ugandans support reinstating presidential term limits. This suggests growing dissatisfaction with what many see as an increasingly autocratic regime.
Uganda’s demographic profile also adds urgency to the political moment: over 80% of its population is under the age of 35, many of whom identify more with the youthful and defiant messaging of Bobi Wine than with the long-standing military leadership of Museveni.
