Uganda’s President Museveni confirms bid to extend nearly 40-year rule

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed he will contest next year’s presidential election, setting the stage for a potential extension of his nearly 40-year rule. The 80-year-old announced late on Saturday that he had expressed his interest “in running for … the position of presidential flag bearer” for his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. Museveni seized power in 1986 after a five-year civil war and has ruled ever since. Rights groups accused him of using security forces and state patronage to suppress dissent and entrench his power – claims he denies. Opposition leader Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has confirmed he will run again. Wine rejected the 2021 results, alleging widespread fraud, ballot tampering and intimidation by security forces. Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb reports from Nairobi in neighbouring Kenya. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #Uganda #UgandaElections #YoweriMuseveni #Museveni2026 #NationalResistanceMovementParty #NRM #BobiWine #UgandaPolitics #AlJazeeraEnglish