Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party announced on Tuesday that President Yoweri Museveni, 80, will seek re-election in polls scheduled for early next year.
This move is widely expected to extend his nearly four-decade rule over the East African nation.
The announcement comes amidst an escalating crackdown on the opposition, with leading activists and politicians reportedly facing intimidation, abduction, and detention ahead of the January 2026 general election.
Museveni’s decision follows confirmation from prominent opposition figure, musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine (Robert Kyagulanyi), that he also intends to run in 2026.
Wine previously challenged Museveni in the 2021 elections, which were marred by widespread reports of irregularities and security force violence.
Wine has faced multiple arrests, and Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has made public threats against him.
In a further concerning development for the opposition, Kizza Besigye, another long-time political rival, was reportedly abducted in neighboring Kenya last year and brought to Uganda, where he now faces treason charges carrying the death penalty.
International rights groups have condemned these charges as politically motivated, with Besigye’s wife, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima, asserting he is being “criminalized because he has challenged” the incumbent.
Once praised for his commitment to good governance, critics say Museveni has systematically suppressed opposition and amended the constitution to allow himself to seek re-election repeatedly.
