"I will stay in power until I die": Man who has ruled Uganda for 40 years, Museveni, secures seventh term

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[Financial News] President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (81) of the Republic of Uganda has secured a seventh consecutive term in office. As a result, his long-running rule, which has already lasted 40 years, will be extended by another five years.
According to the Electoral Commission of Uganda on the 17th (local time), President Yoweri Museveni won the presidential election held on the 15th with 71.65% of the vote in the capital Kampala, multiple outlets including The Associated Press (AP) reported.
President Yoweri Museveni first came to power in January 1986 through a coup. He was then elected as the country’s first directly elected president in 1996 and went on to win re-election in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021, successfully securing six consecutive terms and ruling the Republic of Uganda for 40 years. With his latest victory, his time in power is now set to reach 45 years.
To prolong his rule, Museveni has already revised the Constitution twice. In July 2005, he abolished the constitutional provision that limited presidents to three terms, and in December 2017 he scrapped the upper and lower age limits for the presidency, drawing heavy criticism. Observers note that the latest election was also held under conditions in which the internet was shut down under the pretext of preventing the spread of disinformation and opposition forces were subjected to repression.
Museveni’s main challenger, singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine (43), received 24% of the vote. Wine wrote on a social networking service (SNS) that soldiers and police had raided his home the previous night, that his wife and other family members had been placed under house arrest, and that he alone had managed to escape. During the campaign period, rallies by Wine’s supporters were repeatedly broken up by security forces opening fire, and hundreds of people were reportedly arrested.
After the vote, protests erupted, resulting in casualties. The Uganda Police Force stated that it had opened fire in self-defense, leaving seven people dead and three injured, while protesters claimed that security forces had killed 10 people. President Yoweri Museveni has recently signaled in interviews that he intends to remain in power as long as he does not die or become too frail.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter