Uganda’s long-serving president, Yoweri Museveni, 80, is set to contest next year’s presidential election, extending his 40-year grip on power. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) confirmed Museveni as its flagbearer during a national conference on Saturday, paving the way for his re-election bid in January 2026.
Museveni, who took power in 1986 after leading a successful rebel movement, said in his acceptance speech that he was answering the people’s call to continue leading the country. He pledged to focus on transforming Uganda into a “high upper middle-income country” and emphasized his role in maintaining national stability and economic progress.
However, Museveni’s continued rule has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures and civil society. Detractors accuse him of autocratic leadership, using state machinery to suppress dissent, and manipulating the constitution to stay in power. The Ugandan constitution has been amended twice removing term and age limits to allow Museveni to run for re-election beyond the previous restrictions.
Pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is expected to be Museveni’s main challenger. Wine, who leads the National Unity Platform (NUP), came second in the 2021 election with 35% of the vote against Museveni’s 59%, a contest marred by widespread allegations of vote rigging and violent suppression of opposition supporters. Speaking to the BBC in April, Wine noted that “being in the opposition in Uganda means being labelled a terrorist,” and described the growing repression against critics of the government.
Another prominent opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, remains in detention on treason charges a move his supporters believe is politically motivated.
Despite growing calls for political reform and generational change, Museveni insists his leadership remains vital for Uganda’s development. Citing the success of Asian nations with fewer natural resources, he urged Ugandans not to “miss the bus of history.”
As Uganda prepares for a tense electoral season, the stage is set for a fierce contest between a seasoned incumbent and a rising opposition under increasing pressure.
