Uganda’s 2026 presidential race is clearly taking shape, with first son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba likely to wait for nearly 10 years before he can run for the top office in the land and, probably, successfully succeed his father Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni.
The country’s longest-serving post-independence leader, Gen Museveni has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years, which is a big stretch of the 60 years the impoverished East African nation has been independent from Britain. When he took over power in 1986 following a five-year bush war, Gen Museveni diagnosed the problem of Africa as leaders who overstay in power. But, now aged 78, the president won a five-year term in office in last year’s disputed election.
At the end of his current term in 2026, Museveni will have led Uganda for a cool four decades. It has been unclear if Museveni would seek another five-year term and extend his rule to 45 years, running the country up to 2031, by which year he will be 82 years. But the events recent days and weeks indicate that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman is most likely to run for president in the next four years and could even seek another extension to 2036 to make it five decades in power.
On Wednesday, October 19, Museveni’s Office of the National Chairman (ONC) which is based in Kyambogo launched Museveni’s 2026 reelection campaign. The launch at the ONC offices based in Kyambogo was also an opportunity to relaunch the office and unveil new leaders that Gen Museveni appointed to replace former position holders who were months ago handed juicier jobs.
For example, Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye was named the Senior Political Advisor and Personal Assistant to the President on NRM affairs and ONC boss, replacing Milly Babirye Babalanda who was appointed Minister of the Presidency, making her one of the most powerful ministers in Museveni’s 2021-2026 cabinet.
At the Kyambogo event, the ‘Omalako Jajja Tova ku Main’ campaign to hand Museveni another five years as president was launched. Uzeiye and her team were joined by Bazukkulu to unveil what they called their express instruction and command to their jajja (grandfather) Gen Museveni to stand for reelection in the 2026 presidential election and steer the nation further. “Jajja, you are hereby instructed, commanded and ordered to stand in 2026,” read the declaration that the Bazukkulu signed.
Uzeiye made it clear that Museveni was still fit to rule Uganda and that he would not be exiting the Ugandan political stage any time soon. That he would not be allowed to retire to his Rwakitura, Kiruhura home yet he has great leadership experience that is still very useful for the transformation of Uganda through initiatives such as the Parish Development Model.
Even former former presidential press secretary and ex-advisor Joseph Tamale Mirundi openly endorsed Gen Museveni to rule until 2031 after which his son Gen Muhoozi can take over. Tamale Mirundi excited the crowd with his endorsement of Museveni and revealed that he had even written a new book about Museveni’s reelection after carefully studying the political landscape and realizing that only Gen Museveni had vision to steer Uganda, adding that the country’s opposition was too weak to wrestle power from Gen Museveni and steer Uganda ahead.
Uzeiye and her fellow bazukkulu are the latest group to endorse Museveni’s 2026 reelection bid. Days ago, Buganda youths publicly declared Museveni their 2026 preferred choice, weeks after a group of ministers, including Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao, Internal Affairs Minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire and Vice President Maj (Rtd) Jessica Alupo Abeine endorsed the 78-year-old president for ‘another rap’ before he can peacefully hand over power in 2031. (Read Details Here).
The ‘Omalako Jajja Tova ku Main’ endorsement by the bazukkulu and other groups confirm what a former Museveni strategist revealed months ago regarding Gen Museveni’s rule post-2021. Andrew Mwenda previously revealed that Museveni will run for president in 2026 — and possibly in 2031 — as long as he is not dead. (Read Story Here).
If he chooses to run, Museveni will have sent supporters of his son Gen Muhoozi into premium tears since these are already campaigning for the former UPDF Land Forces Commander to take over from his father 2026 and have been traversing the country holding Muhoozi’s birthday celebrations, and sports tournaments as ways of popularizing his bid. And as we have reported, Gen Muhoozi recently made a shocking revelation on his plot to take over from his father Gen Museveni in 2026. (Read Story Here).
It should also be remembered that months ago, Muhoozi revised his retirement army from the army to 2030, just a year ahead of the 2031 presidential election, an indicator that he could consider running for president in 2031 and not 2026. Meanwhile, Gen Museveni has trashed Minister Norbert Mao’s ‘peaceful power handover’ talks but the DP leader has insisted that he is on track to make sure that Gen Museveni peacefully hands over power. (Read Stories Here and There).
