Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, 81, seeks a seventh term amid corruption allegations, dynastic concerns, and rising opposition from pop star rival Boni Wine
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, 81, is seeking a seventh term on Thursday, nearly four decades after taking power in 1986. Most Ugandans have never experienced leadership under anyone else.
Museveni, a former rebel leader, rose to power promising change after toppling autocratic governments, including Idi Amin and Tito Okello.
His early years were marked by optimism and praise for defeating the Lord’s Resistance Army and addressing the AIDS epidemic.
However, allegations of corruption, cronyism, and authoritarianism have dogged his rule.
Parliamentary reports suggest that privatisation programmes enriched relatives and allies, while state services remained underdeveloped.
Today, only one in four Ugandan children complete secondary school, and well-paid jobs are scarce.
“The problem of Africa…is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power,” Museveni once said. Critics argue his 2005 removal of presidential term limits enabled him to pursue lifelong rule.
Despite concerns, Museveni has cultivated foreign alliances, deploying peacekeepers in Somalia and South Sudan and welcoming refugees. He also pursued investments in oil, striking deals with TotalEnergies and CNOOC.
His main opponent in Thursday’s election is 43-year-old pop star and politician Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Boni Wine.
Analysts note that while Museveni is likely to win, succession questions loom large, especially with his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, rising in military prominence.
Observers warn that a poor electoral performance could reshape internal party dynamics, but handover plans may still be years away.
Former newspaper editor Charles Onyango-Obbo noted, “Museveni is more frail now, but he is a workaholic… he will not leave even if he needs to use a walking stick.”
Museveni has faced repeated criticism from domestic and international actors for alleged election irregularities, and the opposition has accused him of fast-tracking his son’s career to ensure dynastic succession.
The election outcome could define Uganda’s political landscape for years to come.
