The majority of citizens have never known another president
In Kampala, beneath the shadow of armoured tanks and the weight of four decades, Yoweri Museveni took his seventh oath of office — a moment that speaks less to democratic renewal than to the enduring tension between the longevity of power and the legitimacy it requires. At 81, he governs a nation where most citizens have never known another leader, and where the machinery of the state has grown inseparable from the man who commands it. The ceremony drew regional heads of state and thousands of supporters, yet it also drew the silence of an opposition in exile, a jailed rival, and the memory of at least sixteen people killed in the days that followed January's disputed vote.
- Museveni claimed over 70% of the vote in January, but opposition leader Bobi Wine fled the country fearing assassination, calling the results a fabrication built on ballot-stuffing and intimidation.
- Between January 15 and 18, Amnesty International documented the killing of at least 16 unarmed civilians by military and police — deaths that cast a long shadow over the inauguration's celebratory framing.
- Kizza Besigye, a veteran opposition figure, has been held in military detention since late 2024 after being forcibly returned from Kenya, facing weapons charges his supporters call politically motivated.
- A newly passed Sovereignty Bill criminalises ties to foreign funding and foreign interests, giving the government a legal instrument to silence civil society and international-backed dissent.
- Analysts see 2031 as the likely horizon of Museveni's rule, with his son General Muhoozi Kainerugaba positioned as heir — though the general's social media threats against opposition figures have unsettled observers watching the succession unfold.
Yoweri Museveni was sworn in for a seventh consecutive term at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, with armoured vehicles patrolling the streets and police checkpoints spread across the capital. The government declared a national holiday, and thousands of supporters gathered to witness the occasion. On paper, his January victory was commanding — more than 70 percent of the vote — but the election itself remained bitterly contested.
Museveni first came to power as a rebel commander in 1986, and his four decades in office make him one of Africa's most enduring leaders. In his address, he spoke of wealth creation, oil revenues, and the infrastructure built under his watch — a message of continuity delivered to a country where most people have never lived under a different president.
The road to this inauguration was marked by violence. Opposition leader Bobi Wine, the pop musician turned politician, rejected the results entirely and fled Uganda, saying he had credible reason to believe the regime wanted him dead. Amnesty International reported that at least 16 unarmed people were shot dead by security forces in the days immediately following the vote. Wine's home was raided; he has continued to call the elections fraudulent from abroad. Fellow opposition figure Kizza Besigye, abducted from Kenya in late 2024 and forcibly returned, remains in military detention on weapons charges he denies.
The government dismissed all fraud allegations, labelling the opposition as terrorists and insisting security forces acted lawfully. Last week, parliament passed a Sovereignty Bill criminalising actions deemed to serve foreign interests — a measure rights groups condemned as a tool of repression.
Museveni's son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is widely regarded as the president's intended successor, though his public threats against opposition figures on social media have alarmed analysts. Most observers believe this seventh term — ending in 2031 — may be Museveni's last, though what follows, and whether it will be peaceful, remains an open and uneasy question.
Yoweri Museveni, now 81 years old, took the oath of office for a seventh consecutive term on a day when armoured tanks rolled through Kampala's streets and police checkpoints multiplied across the capital. The inauguration ceremony at Kololo Independence Grounds drew thousands of his supporters, while the government declared the occasion a national holiday. Museveni's victory in January's elections had been decisive on paper—he secured more than 70 percent of the vote—but the contest itself remained contested, shadowed by allegations of fraud that his opponents refused to accept.
Museveni first seized power as a rebel commander in 1986 and has since won seven elections, making him one of Africa's most durable leaders. His 40-year tenure places him in rare company: only a handful of African presidents have held office for longer. In his inaugural address, he spoke of a new era of work and wealth creation, urging Ugandans to build on four decades of peace and infrastructure development. He promised that oil revenues, once production began, would fuel economic growth and reduce poverty. The message was one of continuity and progress, delivered to a nation where the majority of citizens have never known another president.
Yet the path to this seventh term had been fractured by violence and fear. Bobi Wine, a 44-year-old pop musician turned opposition politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, rejected the election results outright. He accused the government of ballot-stuffing and fled Uganda after the vote, claiming he had reason to believe the regime intended to kill him. Between January 15 and 18, according to Amnesty International, at least 16 unarmed people were shot dead by military and police forces. The victims posed no imminent threat, the rights group said, yet security forces opened fire. Wine went into hiding following raids on his home, and he has continued to insist that the elections were fraudulent, calling on Ugandans to reclaim their democracy.
Museveni's government dismissed these claims. Officials denied that ballot-stuffing had occurred and accused the opposition of attempting to overturn the results through violence, labeling them terrorists. Police maintained they were simply providing security for Wine as a presidential candidate. The security apparatus, however, did not limit its reach to Wine alone. Kizza Besigye, another prominent opposition figure, has remained in military detention since late 2024 after being abducted while in Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda. He faces charges of illegal weapons possession and attempting to purchase firearms abroad—accusations he denies.
Museveni's son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 51, serves as military chief and has been widely discussed as a potential successor. Yet the younger Kainerugaba has drawn criticism for his use of social media to threaten opposition figures, including Wine. Earlier this year, he posted threats of extreme violence against Wine on X before the posts were removed. Such rhetoric has troubled observers watching the succession question unfold.
The government's response to post-election unrest has extended beyond detention and force. Last week, lawmakers passed a Sovereignty Bill that criminalizes actions deemed to serve foreign interests over Uganda's own and labels recipients of international funding as agents of foreigners. Rights groups have condemned the security crackdowns and the detention of opposition leaders as part of a broader pattern of repression.
Analysts believe this seventh term may be Museveni's last, with his tenure set to end in 2031. He has not announced retirement plans, but the arithmetic of age and the weight of four decades in power suggest an end may be approaching. Yet the question of what comes next—and whether Uganda's transition will be peaceful or turbulent—remains unresolved. African leaders from Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Somalia attended the inauguration, lending international legitimacy to a ceremony that much of Uganda's opposition viewed as illegitimate.
Citas Notables
We must protect what has been achieved, correct what still needs improvement and move forward together as one country— Yoweri Museveni, in his inaugural address
The regime wanted to eliminate me— Bobi Wine, explaining why he fled Uganda after the election
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did Museveni need armoured tanks in the capital for his own inauguration?
Because the election itself was disputed. His opponent claimed fraud, fled the country, and security forces had already killed at least 16 people in the weeks after the vote. The heavy presence was meant to prevent any disruption or protest.
But he won by over 70 percent. That's a landslide. Why would the opposition reject such a clear result?
The opposition says the vote itself was rigged—ballot-stuffing, they claim. And the timing matters: those killings happened right after the election, which made people afraid. When you see unarmed civilians shot by police and military, you start to question whether the election was actually free.
Where is Bobi Wine now?
He fled Uganda. He said he feared the regime wanted to eliminate him, so he went into hiding. He's been calling the elections fake from abroad, urging Ugandans to fight for their democracy.
What about the other opposition figure mentioned—Besigye?
He's in military jail. He was abducted from Kenya and brought back to Uganda by force. He's facing weapons charges he says are false. He's been detained since late 2024.
So Museveni's son is being groomed to take over?
That's what people are saying. He's the military chief, and he's been positioned as a successor. But he's also made violent threats against opposition figures on social media, which has alarmed people watching the succession question.
Does Museveni seem likely to actually step down in 2031?
Analysts think so, but he hasn't said it himself. He's 81 now. The real uncertainty is what happens when he does leave—whether the transition is peaceful or whether the tensions we're seeing now explode into something worse.