Yoweri Museveni was on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, sworn in for a seventh term as President of Uganda at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, further extending his long-running leadership that began in 1986.
The 81-year-old leader took the oath of office after being declared winner of the January 2026 presidential election by the Electoral Commission.
He secured 71.65 percent of the vote, while opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine, polled 24.72 percent.
The latest inauguration keeps Museveni in power for another five-year term, reinforcing his status as one of Africa’s longest-serving heads of state since he came to office after a guerrilla campaign that ended in January 1986.
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Born in 1944 in western Uganda, Museveni had his early education at Kyamate Primary School before moving on to Mbarara High School and later Ntare School in 1961.
He proceeded to the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where he studied political science and became involved in student activism that shaped his early political thinking.
The January 2026 election was conducted amid political tension and allegations from the opposition over irregularities, claims the Electoral Commission dismissed while insisting the process reflected the will of Ugandan voters.
His renewed mandate continues a presidency that has defined Uganda’s modern political era for four decades, with ongoing debates over governance, succession and democratic space in the country.