Museveni Urges Ugandans to Re-elect Him ‘One Last Time’

President Yoweri Museveni has appealed to Ugandans to grant him “one last mandate,” describing it as the final chapter of his nearly four-decade rule.

Addressing supporters at a rally in western Uganda, Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, said he needed one more term to complete his “unfinished mission” of securing Uganda’s economic transformation and national stability.

The 81-year-old leader promised that the coming five-year term would mark the culmination of his leadership, paving the way for what he called a “stable and well-prepared transition.”

However, opposition leaders and political analysts have expressed deep skepticism, pointing out that Museveni has made similar declarations in the past. They have renewed calls for concrete political reforms to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power.

If he runs again, Museveni will further extend one of Africa’s longest reigns. He currently ranks as the continent’s fourth longest serving head of state, after Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea (46 years), Paul Biya of Cameroon (43 years), and Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo (41 years).