Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s long-serving president, has officially been cleared to contest the country’s January 2026 elections, setting the stage for yet another showdown between the 81-year-old leader and his main rival, opposition figure Bobi Wine.
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, was confirmed on the ballot by electoral officials near the capital, Kampala, on Tuesday. The announcement comes months after his governing National Resistance Movement (NRM) formally endorsed him as its presidential candidate.
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In a post on X, Museveni thanked his supporters for entrusting him with another run, pledging to build on what he described as Uganda’s economic gains. “In this economy, the GDP of Uganda has doubled currently in the recent Kisanja from $34 billion to $66 billion,” he wrote, promising to transform Uganda into a $500 billion economy within five years.
He argued that Uganda now had “everything you lacked in the past: electricity, roads, telephones, manpower, the educated people, and peace,” adding that these conditions were drawing foreign investors into the country.
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Outlining his agenda for the next term, Museveni said the NRM would focus on wealth creation, education, infrastructure, fighting crime and corruption, as well as improving healthcare and water access.
The veteran leader’s pitch echoes the themes that have sustained his near four-decade grip on power. Museveni rose to prominence in 1986 after leading the NRM in a rebellion that toppled the short-lived regime of General Tito Okello. Since declaring himself president, he has secured victory in every subsequent election, although critics regularly challenge the fairness of the process.
In 2017, parliament amended the constitution to scrap the presidential age limit of 75, clearing the way for Museveni to seek further terms despite his advancing years.
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The election is expected to pit Museveni once again against Robert Kyagulanyi, better known by his stage name Bobi Wine. The former musician turned politician leads the National Unity Platform (NUP), which has emerged as the most formidable opposition force in recent years.
In the 2021 election, Wine secured 35 percent of the vote to Museveni’s 58 percent — the incumbent’s weakest result in decades. Wine alleged widespread voter fraud and ballot stuffing, though the results were upheld. His popularity among Uganda’s youth and urban working-class communities has positioned him as a potent challenger, and his party now holds the largest number of opposition seats in parliament.
