Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will stand for re-election in January 2026, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) confirmed on 24 June 2025. The 80-year-old leader, who has held office since 1986, is also set to contest for the party’s chairmanship, according to NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi.
A Decades-Long Grip on Power
Museveni rose to power nearly four decades ago after leading a five-year guerrilla war that ousted Milton Obote’s regime. Initially hailed for restoring order and steering Uganda’s economy towards recovery following the turbulent eras of Idi Amin and Obote, Museveni’s presidency has since evolved into one of the longest on the African continent.
Over the years, constitutional amendments have allowed Museveni to extend his rule—removing the presidential term limit in 2005 and scrapping the age cap in 2017. Defending his continued leadership, Museveni has previously stated that “ideological clarity, not biological age, is what defines leadership.”
Opposition Voices Under Pressure
As Museveni prepares for another term, opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, has once again thrown his hat into the ring. Wine, who contested the 2021 election, maintains that the vote was marred by widespread fraud and voter suppression.
Meanwhile, veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye continues to speak out against the regime, despite facing treason charges related to a 2024 kidnapping case. His continued activism comes amid growing concerns from international watchdogs over the suppression of dissent.
Amnesty International and other human rights organisations have condemned what they describe as increasing harassment and arbitrary arrests of opposition leaders, warning that Uganda’s democratic institutions are being steadily eroded.
Mounting Authoritarianism
In a move that has sparked further alarm, President Museveni signed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (Amendment) Act into law on 16 June 2025. The legislation reintroduces military courts for civilians, despite a January Supreme Court ruling that declared such courts unconstitutional.
In response, human rights lawyer and activist Dr Dennis Daniel Ssemugenyi lodged a petition with the Constitutional Court on 23 June, challenging the legality of the amendment. The case has intensified debate over the judiciary’s independence and the overall state of governance in Uganda.
Human Rights Watch has accused the government of using arbitrary arrests, intimidation, and legal manoeuvres to silence opposition voices. While Museveni’s administration has overseen infrastructure improvements, critics argue that these gains are overshadowed by an increasingly authoritarian political climate.
As Uganda heads into another election season, all eyes are on the balance between stability and democracy in a nation under the rule of one man for nearly 40 years.
