KAMPALA, Uganda – President Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for a record seventh consecutive term, extending his 40-year rule over the East African nation following a landslide victory in the January elections.
Okay News reports that the 81-year-old leader, who first seized power as a rebel commander in 1986, took the oath of office on Tuesday at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala. The ceremony was attended by several regional heads of state, including Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan and the DRC’s Félix Tshisekedi, while the capital remained under heavy guard with armored tanks deployed to prevent opposition protests.
Museveni was declared the winner with over 70% of the vote, a result that his primary challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu—better known as the pop star Bobi Wine—has dismissed as “fake” and marred by extensive ballot-stuffing. Kyagulanyi, who leads the National Unity Platform, fled the country shortly after the polls, citing fears for his life. The inauguration follows a period of intense political tension, including a government-imposed internet shutdown and a security crackdown that rights groups say resulted in numerous fatalities.
With majority of Uganda’s young population having known no other president, the question of succession looms large. While Museveni has not named a successor, his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, currently serves as the military chief and is widely considered the frontrunner to eventually take over. However, Kainerugaba has drawn international criticism for his aggressive social media presence and threats directed at opposition figures.
The inauguration also comes on the heels of the newly passed “Sovereignty Bill,” which criminalizes actions deemed to promote foreign interests over those of Uganda. As Museveni begins a term that analysts suggest may be his last, the international community remains concerned over the continued detention of veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was recently abducted from Kenya and charged in a Ugandan military court.
