As Uganda prepares for its general elections on Thursday, 15 January 2026, President Yoweri Museveni is officially campaigning for a seventh consecutive term in office. This election marks a historic milestone, as the 81-year-old leader completes exactly 40 years in power this month, having first seized control of the country in January 1986.
With polling day just 48 hours away, the capital is under heavy security as the “old guard” of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) faces off against a youthful and increasingly vocal opposition.
The Electoral Commission has cleared eight candidates for the presidency, but the contest is widely viewed as a “generational rematch” between the incumbent and his primary challenger.
| Candidate | Party | Age | Platform / Slogan |
| Yoweri Museveni | NRM | 81 | “Protecting the Gains” – Focus on stability and oil production. |
| Bobi Wine | NUP | 43 | “Our Time” – Focus on political freedom and youth employment. |
| Mugisha Muntu | ANT | 67 | Former military chief; focused on institutional reform. |
| Nandala Mafabi | FDC | 59 | Veteran lawmaker; campaigning on economic transparency. |
Museveni’s four-decade rule has been a tale of two halves for East Africa’s third-largest economy. Under his leadership, Uganda’s GDP has grown significantly, with a particular focus on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which is expected to begin production later in 2026.
For the first time, the “Muhoozi factor” is central to the campaign. While Museveni is the candidate, his son and military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has been actively consolidating power within the army and the NRM, leading many to view this term as a transition period.
Critics and international observers point to the removal of term limits (2005) and age limits (2017) as evidence of a “presidency for life.”
Human rights organizations and the United Nations have raised “serious concerns” over the political environment leading up to Thursday’s vote.
Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters have reported sustained harassment, arbitrary arrests, and the disruption of rallies by security forces.
There is also widespread speculation of a total internet shutdown starting on the eve of the election, mirroring the tactics used during the 2021 polls to limit opposition coordination.
The military has been deployed to major urban centers like Kampala and Entebbe to “maintain order,” while Museveni has warned that “chaos will not be tolerated.”
“I am not just an entertainer. I have a platform to change society. We are facing 40 years of a dictatorship, and the youth of this country are ready for a new chapter.” – Bobi Wine, January 12, 2026.
If Museveni wins, he will be 86 years old at the end of the 2031 term. Analysts suggest the real battle is not just at the ballot box this Thursday, but within the NRM elite as they navigate the inevitable end of the Museveni era.
