On May 12, 2026, Yoweri Museveni was officially sworn in for a seventh term as President of Uganda, extending his four-decade rule and giving him another five years in office until 2031. By the end of this term, Museveni will have governed the country continuously for 45 years and will be 87 years old.
Museveni’s political journey has been a long one. He came to power in 1986 after leading a guerrilla war in a country troubled by coups, political assassinations, and economic instability. At the time he took office, some members of his current government had not yet been born. Namibia had not yet gained independence, Eritrea was still part of Ethiopia, and South Sudan did not yet exist as an independent state.
Back then, Uganda’s population was estimated at around 13 million. Today, it exceeds 52 million, meaning that nearly a quarter of the population was born after Museveni assumed power.
More than three-quarters of Ugandans, particularly those under the age of 40, have never known another president besides Museveni.
His leadership has been credited with maintaining relative stability and driving visible development in Uganda, earning him strong support among many citizens.
However, critics accuse him of tightening his grip on power by suppressing opposition voices and weakening independent institutions.
“We don’t believe in the length of presidential terms,” Museveni once told the BBC after securing victory for his fifth term in office.
A year later, Uganda removed the presidential age limit, a move widely viewed by opponents as a strategy to allow Museveni to remain in power indefinitely.
