Museveni to run for 7th term in bid to extend Uganda’s era of one-man rule

President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed he will run for a seventh term in Uganda’s 2026 presidential election,potentially extending his rule to over 40 years.

The 80-year-old leader made the announcement via social media,stating he had expressed interest in becoming the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s presidential flag-bearer. Museveni,who seized power in 1986 after a guerrilla war,has presided over constitutional amendments in 2005 and 2017 that removed term and age limits,clearing the path for indefinite reelection. His decision to run again underscores the absence of a clear succession plan within the NRM and raises fresh concerns about democratic backsliding.

Museveni defends his continued leadership as necessary for Uganda’s economic transformation. He outlined five phases of national development under his rule,ranging from post-conflict recovery to a planned transition into a science-driven,knowledge-based economy. He aims to grow Uganda’s GDP to $500 billion — up from the current $66 billion — in the next five years.

His main challenger is expected to be opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi,known as Bobi Wine,who has already declared his intention to run. Wine,who disputed the 2021 election results,accuses Museveni’s regime of systematic repression,including abductions and torture of activists. Observers say Museveni’s latest bid risks entrenching authoritarianism while further narrowing Uganda’s democratic space. He is the fourth longest-ruling leader in Africa,after Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang,Cameroon’s Paul Biya,and Congo Republic’s Denis Sassou-Nguesso.