Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has expressed interest in a seventh term in office, a move that could extend his grip on power to nearly four decades and further cement his place among Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Museveni, now 81, has ruled Uganda since 1986, when he led a rebel movement that toppled a military government and ushered in what he described at the time as a new political dawn for the country.
Naijaonpoint reports that at his swearing-in in 1986, Museveni declared that Uganda was undergoing a “fundamental change” after years of dictatorship and instability.
However, almost 40 years later, critics argue that those promises have largely faded, replaced by widespread corruption, democratic decline and an ever-tightening grip on power.
Ironically, Museveni himself once warned against prolonged rule.
“The problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power,” he said shortly after assuming office, a quote frequently cited by his opponents as proof of unfulfilled pledges.
Museveni has won all six presidential elections he has contested, but opposition parties have consistently rejected the outcomes, alleging vote-rigging, intimidation and irregularities.
Authorities have repeatedly denied the claims, while security forces have moved swiftly to suppress protests following disputed polls.
Despite the controversies, Museveni has remained firmly in control of Uganda’s political landscape.
Praise Abroad, Criticism at Home
Naijaonpoint reports that internationally, Museveni’s government has earned praise for its early response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, its role in defeating the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency, and its contribution of troops to peacekeeping missions in Somalia and South Sudan.
Uganda also hosts one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, a policy widely commended by humanitarian agencies.
At home, however, allegations of corruption have continued to dog his administration.
Parliamentary reports have accused senior government officials and associates of benefiting from privatisation deals involving state-owned enterprises, even as key public services remain poorly funded.
“Corruption has been central to his rule from the beginning,” a professor at the University of Antwerp, Kristof Titeca, told Reuters.
Museveni has acknowledged the presence of corruption within government but insists that officials found culpable have been prosecuted.
While Uganda has recorded periods of economic growth under Museveni, critics argue that the gains have failed to improve living standards for most citizens.
According to UNICEF, only one in four Ugandan children who start primary school eventually reach secondary level, while access to well-paying jobs remains limited.
Term Limits Scrapped
Naijaonpoint recalls that in 2005, Uganda’s parliament removed presidential term limits, a move widely criticised by opposition figures and civil society groups, who said it was designed to allow Museveni to remain in power indefinitely.
The decision paved the way for his continued dominance of the political system.
Museveni’s main challenger in Thursday’s election is opposition leader and pop star, Boni Wine, 43, who has galvanised younger voters frustrated by unemployment and political repression.
Attention has increasingly shifted from the election outcome to the question of succession, as the veteran leader shows signs of frailty.
Much of the speculation has centred on Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the army chief, whose rapid rise through the military ranks has fuelled claims of an attempted dynastic succession, allegations the government strongly denies.
“The big question looming over the election is the question of succession,” Titeca said.
Former newspaper editor Charles Onyango-Obbo said the election may be less about who wins and more about the public mood.
“This is less about the results that will be announced, and more about the mood on the ground,” Onyango-Obbo said.
He added that despite growing debate about succession, any handover of power in Uganda may still be years away.