UGANDA’s long-time President Yoweri Museveni has been confirmed to stand in the January 2026 elections, as he seeks to extend his nearly 40-year rule in the African country.
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, on Tuesday urged supporters to back his vision for the future after electoral officials near the capital, Kampala, announced that the 81-year-old leader would be on the ballot.
The governing National Resistance Movement (NRM) party officially confirmed him in June as its presidential candidate.
In a post on X, Museveni thanked his supporters for entrusting him to run again for the 2026-2031 term.
“In this economy, the GDP of Uganda has doubled currently in the recent Kisanja from $34 billion to $66 billion,” he wrote. He has promised to make Uganda a $500bn economy in the next five years.
“You have everything today that you lacked in the past: electricity, roads, telephones, manpower, the educated people, and peace. That’s why we are being flooded by many investors because they are looking for a peaceful and profitable area where to invest,” he added.
In a list of pledges for the next term, Museveni said the party’s priorities would focus on wealth creation, education, infrastructure, crime, corruption, health and water.
Museveni came to power in 1986 after his NRM party waged a rebellion to depose the military regime of General Tito Okello.
After the NRM won the war, Museveni, the then-leader of the movement’s armed group, declared himself president. Since then, the president has been elected in subsequent elections.
In 2017, an amendment to the constitution removed the age limit for presidential candidates, which had been set at 75, allowing Museveni to continue ruling the country.
“Recently, he has said that this is going to be the last time that he’s going to run for president,” said Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Kampala and adding that Museveni has previously said this “many times.”
But the leader’s main political opponent, Bobi Wine, a former musician, is expected to be announced as a candidate in the upcoming election later this week.
During the 2021 elections, Wine secured 35 percent of the vote, with Museveni taking 58 percent in his worst-ever result.
While Wine accused Museveni of alleged voter fraud and ballot stuffing, his performance during the election placed him as the strongest challenger to Museveni’s rule.
Wine also has a large following among working-class communities in urban areas, with his National Unity Platform party holding the most seats of any opposition party in the national assembly.
He has a strong following among the country’s youth as well, many of whom want a change in leadership, Al Jazeera’s Soi said.
As the election nears, many Ugandans worry the contest will not be free or fair.