Ugandan President Museveni to Be Sworn On May 12

Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, will be sworn in for a seventh term on May 12, 2026, following his victory in the January 15 presidential election.

The announcement was made by the Uganda Media Centre, which confirmed that the ceremony will take place at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds under the theme “Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.”

According to the statement, several international dignitaries are expected to attend, with preparations being coordinated by the National Organising Committee led by Yunus Kakande, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President.

Official results released by the Electoral Commission of Uganda show that Museveni secured 7,946,772 votes, representing 71.65 per cent of the total valid votes cast.

His closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu of the National Unity Platform, received 2,741,238 votes, accounting for 24.72 per cent.

Other candidates trailed significantly, including Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change with 209,039 votes (1.88 per cent), and Gregory Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation with 59,276 votes (0.53 per cent).

The commission reported that Uganda had 21,649,067 registered voters, with 11,366,201 ballots cast, representing a turnout of 52.50 per cent. A total of 275,353 ballots, or 2.42 per cent, were declared invalid.

The 2026 election marks the first time since 1996 that Museveni has secured over 70 per cent of the vote, improving on his 2021 performance, in which he won 58.64 per cent.

Museveni has been in power since 1986, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.

SOURCE: MRA