Museveni to Seek Seventh Term as Uganda’s Ruling Party Backs 2026 Bid

📰 iNewsAfrica | East Africa Bureau

Kampala, Uganda – July 7, 2025 — Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni has been officially endorsed by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) as its presidential candidate for the 2026 elections, setting the stage for a seventh consecutive term and extending his 40-year grip on power.

The announcement was made during the NRM’s National Executive Council meeting held on Friday, where Museveni, 80, was nominated unopposed as the party’s flagbearer. This move eliminates the need for primaries and affirms his continued dominance in Ugandan politics.

Museveni, who has led the East African nation since 1986, told party delegates that his mission is unfinished. “We are on the threshold of transforming Uganda into a high upper-middle-income country,” he declared, touting his government’s achievements in infrastructure, education, and regional security.

Critics, however, argue that Museveni’s extended rule is a sign of democratic erosion. Uganda has seen sweeping constitutional amendments under his leadership — first abolishing term limits in 2005 and then removing the presidential age cap in 2017 — moves widely seen as tailored to secure his political longevity.

Human rights groups and opposition leaders have expressed alarm at what they call creeping authoritarianism. The recent law permitting civilians to be tried in military courts, passed in May, has drawn condemnation both at home and abroad, with activists warning it could be used to suppress dissent ahead of the polls.

Despite these concerns, the NRM’s overwhelming backing signals that the party sees no viable alternative to Museveni’s leadership — or is unwilling to challenge the status quo. The upcoming election, scheduled for January 12, 2026, is expected to pit him once again against opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, whose populist message continues to resonate with Uganda’s youthful electorate.

As the political climate intensifies, questions linger over Uganda’s democratic future — and whether the 2026 vote will mark continuity or confrontation.

Reporting by iNewsAfrica East Africa Bureau
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