KAMPALA – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially commenced his seventh term as President of the Republic of Uganda, extending his historic 40-year tenure that began on January 29, 1986.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This followed the Swearing-In and Inauguration Ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala, witnessed by thousands, including a distinguished contingent of international dignitaries.
The ceremony, presided over by the Chief Justice of Uganda, His Worship Dr. Flavian Zeija, was held under the theme: “Protecting the Gains: Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.”
Before the oath was administered, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Uganda, Justice Simon Byabakama, declared Candidate Museveni as the new president following successful 2026 electoral polls.
According to the Commission Chairperson, President Museveni secured a decisive victory, winning 71.65% of the vote, defeating seven other candidates who contested the nation’s highest office.
President Museveni took the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath for the Due Execution of the Office of the President and was thereafter handed the six instruments of power: the Constitution, the National Flag, the Coat of Arms, the Presidential Sword, the Speaker’s Mace, and the National Seal.
The Kololo grounds transformed into a hub of Pan-African diplomacy, with several sitting heads of state and senior government officials in attendance.
Heads of State present included:
· H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
· H.E. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, President of the Gabonese Republic
· H.E. Daniel Francisco Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique
· H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi
· H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo
· H.E. Brahim Ghali, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
· H.E. Taye Atske Selassie, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
· H.E. Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
· H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
· H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan
Other notable representatives included:
· H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
· H.E. Prof. Kithure Kindiki, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya
· H.E. Azouz Nasri, President of the Council of the Nation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
· H.E. Gen. (Rtd) Dr. Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga, Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
· Hon. Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Education and Skill Development of the Republic of India
· H.E. Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua, Prime Minister of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
· A delegation from the United States of America, led by Mr. Nicholas Checker, Senior Bureau Official for African Affairs
· H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdullah Al Zwaidi, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Uganda
Meanwhile, the ceremony was also attended by senior government officials, delegates, and the top brass of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). Notably, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, was present, standing alongside other senior party leaders of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
President Museveni, who first took the helm on January 29, 1986, has now led Uganda as head of state for over 40 years.
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