Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni was sworn in Tuesday for a seventh consecutive term, extending his rule by five years as many observers focus on who would succeed him. The Associated Press reported that the 81-year-old took the oath in Kampala and received ceremonial instruments of power at an event attended by thousands in the Kololo suburb.
As part of the inauguration’s military pageantry, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son and described as the presumptive heir, oversaw dayslong rehearsals for the parade, including flyovers by Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets. The parade, alongside the oath ceremony, marked the continuation of a presidency that has lasted about four decades, the AP said.
In his address, Museveni urged Ugandans to work hard and build wealth for their families and framed the need for personal effort as a response to what he portrayed as a culture of delay. “No more excuses,” he said, according to the AP report.
The larger question emerging from the inauguration was how the transition at the end of Museveni’s term would be managed. The AP said many Ugandans increasingly accept that his presidency is nearing its end, but uncertainty remains over the character and orderliness of any handover during the time he has left in office.
Kainerugaba appears poised to take over, the AP reported, citing that he has declared his wish to succeed his father and said recently that the mission is “unstoppable.” Still, the AP said his path could follow either of two broad routes: an approach involving Kainerugaba assuming power in a manner critics would describe as bloodless but unconstitutional, or a constitutional amendment that would allow legislators to select him under rules shaped by the ruling party’s large majority.
The AP reported that an electoral win could be harder for Kainerugaba, with opposition leader Bobi Wine identified as among the challengers. The AP said Wine, a popular entertainer who has twice run for president, rejected the January election outcome that gave Museveni his next term.
In parliament, the speaker, Anita Among, told lawmakers last month that legislators would “do everything possible” to assist Kainerugaba, speaking about “the 11th parliament” when “the opposition got swallowed” and saying that in “the 12th parliament, it is going to be walloped.” The AP also reported that other leaders have sought to demonstrate allegiance to Kainerugaba as he has risen to a more central role while Museveni relies on him as the president ages and leans more on military leadership to exercise authority.
Andrew Mwenda, described by the AP as a close ally and friend of Kainerugaba, wrote last month that Museveni is “old and exhausted,” and that Museveni has “a limited ability to monitor many things across a large spectrum of sectors.” The AP also said Kainerugaba’s rise within the armed forces has been controversial, with critics dubbing a “Muhoozi Project” intended to prepare him for the presidency, charges that Museveni and Kainerugaba have denied.
Angelo Izama, an analyst who runs the Uganda-based Fanaka Kwawote think tank, told the AP that the transition already exists in practice, saying: “While people are waiting for the legal transition from Museveni, the de facto transition has already happened.” Izama added in the AP report that Kainerugaba, “more than the president,” has “the final voice on defense and security matters.”
The AP report also described a contrast in political style between the two. It said Kainerugaba’s associates portray him as a dedicated military officer who eschews ostentatious displays of wealth, and that he attended military schools in the United States and Britain before leading a presidential guard unit that later expanded into special forces. It also said he founded the Patriotic League of Uganda, a political activist group whose members and supporters range from government ministers to businesspeople.
By comparison, the AP said Museveni has kept power in part by striking deals with political rivals and bringing some into government, while Kainerugaba’s approach is described as more confrontational, including harsh online posts that can offend and orders to arrest multiple generals in alleged corruption cases. The AP said such actions have included generals known to have once been friends of Kainerugaba.
Beyond the succession debate, the inauguration period also intersects with legislative moves affecting civic and political activity. The AP said lawmakers recently passed a bill intended to deter what the government described as foreign interference, but that drew widespread concern over its impact on non-governmental organizations and opposition groups.
The AP reported that the legislation bars an “agent of a foreigner” from obtaining grants or other monetary support from external sources exceeding 400 million Ugandan shillings—about $110,000—within a 12-month period without interior minister approval. It added that Wine’s National Unity Platform condemned the law, calling it “unconstitutional, irrelevant and brought in bad faith to further persecute those with divergent views.”