On January 15, 2026, Uganda held presidential and parliamentary elections. As a result, the incumbent, 81-year-old Yoweri Museveni, was declared the winner. Museveni has already been in power for 40 years, making him the longest serving president in the world.head of a stateOne of the
However, the elections were conducted amidst fear and repression. According to Afrobarometer's survey, more than 40% of the country's population is concerned about election-related violenceIt showed.The public's anxiety is not only about the government's efforts to curb dissident speech, but also about the government's efforts to prevent the spread of dissent. This public concern is confirmed by reports from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which warns of a tightening of the clampdown on dissident speech.same reportAccording to the report, 160 cases of enforced disappearances were recorded in 2025 alone, with several opposition figures and journalists assaulted or arrested.
Museveni came to power as president in 1986 and has continued to rule through constitutional reforms and contentious elections. This article begins with an overview of Uganda and then reviews the country's pre-colonial and colonial history. It then analyzes Uganda's post-independence developments, Museveni's politics, and the political and economic challenges the country faces today.
Ugandan President Museveni, who has declared for re-election in January 2026 (photo:GovernmentZA / Flickr [CC BY-ND 2.0])
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Uganda Overview
Uganda is a landlocked country located in central East Africa. It covers an area of 241,038 square kilometers and borders South Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the west. In the south, Uganda shares Lake Victoria, the world's second largest freshwater lake, with its neighbors, thus making Uganda part of the African Great Lakes Region. With Lake Victoria and numerous lakes and rivers, Uganda has natural conditions suitable for agriculture.
Due to these conditions, Uganda's economy is primarily dependent on agriculture. 2024.figureshows that agriculture accounted for 24% of Uganda's gross domestic product (GDP), and that 72% of the working population was employed in agriculture. The main sources of foreign exchange were gold, coffee, tourism, and remittances from expatriates. In addition to gold, mineral resources are abundant in copper, cobalt, iron, and rare earth elements. In addition, Uganda has oil resources and will begin exporting crude oil by the end of 2026 in partnership with French and Chinese oil companiesplanThere are also However, these natural resources are not being fully returned to the people. In fact, more than 90% of the population falls below the so-called ethical poverty line of less than US$7.4 per dayliving(*1).
Uganda's population is estimated at about 50 million, half of whom are under the age of 18, making it the country with the highest percentage of young people in the world.1indicates possessive (often found in place names)is. People have multipleethnic groupThe major ones are Baganda, Banyankole, Basoga, Bakiga, Iteso, Langi, Bagis, Acholi, and Rugubara. The official languages are English and Swahili. Christianity (Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant) makes up more than 75% of the population, followed by Islam (13%) and other indigenous beliefs.existenceDo.
Pre-Colonial and Colonial Period
For millennia, the Great Lakes region of Africa was the meeting point of Bantu agriculturalists and Nile pastoralists, and in the 15th century, the fusion of these peoples led to the establishment of the Bunyoro Kingdom, the first major kingdom in Uganda. Over the next two centuries, Bunyoro forces extended their rule over much of what is now known as central Uganda. These areas were ruled by officials belonging to the great kings of Bunyoro.
18Second half of the centuryDuring the conflict, the governor of Buganda declared independence from Bunyoro, and this nascent kingdom flourished as a strong force. The kingdoms of Ankole and Toro followed Buganda in gaining independence. These three kingdoms modeled their social and political structures after their mother states. Buganda was ruled by a king advised by a council of nobles, with territory distributed to the nobility and cultivated by the peasantry. Cattle were a symbol of authority and were owned by the aristocracy. The state was maintained by a standing army and conscripts under the command of the king. However, Buganda never completely subjugated its neighbors.
In 1862, people from Europe looking for a source of water for the Nile reached Buganda. King Mutesa I (1852-1884), who was interested in Christianity, received Protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries. The fertile soil of the region became the main target of the partition of Africa by the European powers by 1890. After receiving German recognition of its control over the region, the British secured Buganda by force and used the Buganda army to control the surrounding areas.conquestIn 1894, the kingdoms and several chiefdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Toro, Busoga, and Ankole were united to become a British protectorate. The name "Uganda" was also used to refer to the region.adoptionThe first time the company was founded, it was a small company.
A series of agreements in the early 20th century, most notably the Buganda Agreement of 1900, established colonial rule. This agreement guaranteed special status to the Buganda Kingdom and allowed the king's rule and social institutions to continue. The colonial economy depended on cash crops such as cotton and later coffee, and most of the profits were siphoned off to Britain. Asian workers, mainly of Indian descent, were mobilized, and an exploitative economic structure wasestablishThe first time the company was founded, it was a small company.
In the 1950s, Buganda unsuccessfully demanded secession, and a federal constitution was adopted in 1962; the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) won the 1962 elections, and Apollo Milton Obote became prime minister. On October 9 of the same year, Uganda gained independence.fulfillmentThe following is a list of the most common problems with the
Tea plantations, one of the main commodity crops in Uganda (Photo:Garrett Ziegler / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])
Post-Independence Political History
Although independence freed Uganda from foreign rule, tensions between the central government and traditional monarchical rulers were a major factor in the destabilization of post-independence Uganda. 1966, Obote sent the army into Buganda and forced Edward Mutesa II, the king and first president, albeit in a symbolic capacity, into exile. Edward Mutesa II, the king and the country's first president, albeit in a symbolic capacity, was forced into exile. Subsequently, Obote promulgated a new republican constitution, which formally abolished the previous monarchical and federalist constitution. With this, Obote became the first president of Uganda under a unitary state system.first presidentThe first time this happened was in 1983, when the company was founded.
All subsequent regime changes in Uganda have been violent. A combination of dissatisfaction among the Buganda people, economic difficulties, and allegations of corruption led to a military coup in 1971, which toppled the Obote regime. After this, Idi Amin Dada, the army commander, seized power. He was initially part of thePeople of Ugandaand,Western countriesThe government was welcomed by the government of the Soviet Union, because Obote's most recent reforms and policy decisions were seen as pro-Soviet. However, Amin's eight years of rule were characterized by politics of fear and misrule. The size of the military was increased, political opponents were assassinated, and certain ethnic groups such as the Buganda, Lango, and AcholipersecutionThe subject of the As a result, about 300,000 Ugandans lost their lives during Amin's rule, andestimationThe company has been
In addition, to gain domestic support, Amin deported some 60,000 Asian residents, mainly of Indian descent, on the grounds that they were enjoying wealth in Uganda while refusing to acquire Ugandan citizenship. Although this measure gained significant domestic support, it resulted in Uganda's isolation from the rest of the world, and the Amin regime's attack on Tanzania in October 1978 led to the invasion of Uganda by Tanzanian troops backed by armed Ugandan exiles. Amin fled and his regime collapsed.
After the fall of the Amin regime, a short-lived interim government followed, and after 1979 a coalition government of former exiles, the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF), was formed and led by Yusuf Ruhle. In 1980, the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), led by Obote, won a majority in parliamentary elections that were highly controversial in their legitimacy. The opposition formed the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
The National Resistance Army (NRA), the military arm of the NRM, under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni, waged an increasingly effective armed struggle against the Obote regime; in 1985, a split within the military caused Obote to lose his post and go into exile, and Tito Okello, a general in the Uganda Army, seized power. Eventually, the NRA took control of the capital, Kampala, and on January 29, 1986, Museveni became president.inaugurationThe NRA has been fighting a five-year guerrilla war between the government forces and the NRA. In addition, the five-year guerrilla warfare that continued between government forces and the NRA resulted in the deaths of approximately 500,000 people.deathThe first time the company was founded, it is believed to have done so in the 1960s.
Parliament building in Uganda (Photo:Andrew Regan / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0])
Military Issues under the Museveni Regime
Since 1986, through negotiations and agreements, Museveni gradually restored peace in most of the central, southern, and western regions. However, instability persisted in the northern Sudan (now South Sudan) border region. This was largely due to the influx of weapons from the disputed Sudan to small rebel groups.
The most serious threat to the Museveni regime was the rise of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony in northern Uganda, which was established in the late 1980s to abduct tens of thousands of children for military use and sexual exploitation and terrorize civilians through acts of violence, including murder, rape, and mutilation. murder, rape, mutilation, and other violent acts of terror against civilians. As a result, more than one million people were internally displaced, and in the early 2000sSerious Humanitarian Crisisoccurred. The government's negotiations with the LRA failed, and the LRA fled Uganda to neighboring Sudan, the DRC, and the Central African Republic (CAR), where violenceenlargementI made him do it.
Uganda has also militarily confronted another rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which was formed in the 1990s; the ADF was driven out of Uganda and established a base in the DRC after about 2000, from where it has continued attacks against civilian and military targets in Uganda and inside the DRC. Uganda has authorized the DRC to conduct military operations to clean up the ADF, and that there are growing concerns about cross-border security threats and humanitarian issues.applyThe company is doing so.
However, Ugandan troops invade DRCThis is not the first time that it has done so. The Ugandan army is with neighboring Rwanda,It invaded the DRC in 1996 (then Zaire) and 1998, acting in the name of supporting local rebel groups. Ugandan forces occupied parts of the DRC until 2003. The conflict has grown into one of the deadliest wars in the modern world and has been called "Africa's First World War" because of the scale and number of countries involved.stand outThe following is a list of the most common problems with the
Uganda's Economic Recovery
In 1986, the NRM, led by Museveni, took over the government of Uganda, which had been ravaged by 15 years of weak governance and conflict, with a devastated economy and dysfunctional government institutions. The new government's goal was to rebuild the nation and its economy, and the NRM, backed by significant foreign funding, focused on restoring infrastructure and stabilizing public finances. It also encouraged Asian Ugandans, whose assets had formerly been confiscated, to return home and resume economic activities. The economic liberalization policy was to reduce the budget deficit, restore agricultural production, and attract foreign investment.Objective.The company was
During Museveni's administration, Uganda's economy has grown, macroeconomic stability has been achieved, and infrastructure has improved. These achievements have been cited by the administration as evidence of effective governance andclaimIn addition, oil discoveries in the 2000s have raised expectations for future earnings. In addition, oil discoveries in the 2000s have raised expectations for future earnings.elevatedThe country's coffee and cotton exports continue to play an important role in the country's economy. Coffee and cotton exports also continue to play an important role in the country's economy.fulfillThe following is a list of the most common problems with the
Uganda also strengthened its relations with its neighbors: in 2000, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania re-established the East African Community (EAC), and in 2005 the East African Community Customs Union was established. Subsequently, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, DRC, and Somalia joined the EAC.
However, these developments have not led to the elimination of deep-seated socioeconomic and intergenerational disparities. Economic recovery has failed to create enough jobs, and youth unemployment and underemployment remain high despite overall macroeconomic improvements. Young Ugandans have expressed frustration with incomes that are insufficient to provide for basic necessities. Government officials also note that rapid population growth is making it difficult to see the effects of economic developmentAdmittedly.The Ugandan economy appears to be growing, but the reality is that poverty levels remain high. Thus, although Uganda's economy appears to be growing at first glance, the reality is that poverty levels in Uganda remain high.
Progression of Authoritarianism
The Museveni administration introduced a new constitution in 1995 that restored the traditional monarchy and promised a referendum on multiparty politics. In practice, however, political parties are recognized only in name, with no real political activity.prohibitionMuseveni won the presidential election in 1996, the first since the constitution was enacted. Museveni won the 1996 presidential election, the first since the constitution was enacted, with about 72% of the vote.acquisitionIn 2005, a referendum approved a return to a multiparty system, but that same year, parliament removed term limits for the president, allowing Museveni to be reelected. And in the 2006 elections he won about 59% of the vote.being electedThe election was conducted in the midst of serious irregularities. The elections, however, were conducted amid grave irregularities. This included the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye on charges of treason before the election, which human rights groups called a clear act of intimidation by the government against its opponents.claimThe first time, the company was in a position to do so.
2011counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)and2016counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)elections, in which Museveni reportedly won with about 68% and 60% of the vote, respectively, but the legitimacy of these elections was also questioned, with reports of vote buying, voter turnout, widespread military mobilization, and even intimidation of opposition supporters.In 2017, Parliament passed a controversial constitutional amendment to remove the presidential age limit for electoral votes, the a controversial constitutional amendment that would remove the 75-year-old limit.introductionThe court approved the amendment. The court approved the amendment in 2018, which allows Museveni, who has already been in power for more than 30 years, to run for future elections as long as he is alivepossibleThe 2021 elections saw acts of violence by security forces against supporters of the main opposition candidate, Robert Cagrani (aka Bobi Wine), and the detention and house arrest of prominent opposition leaders. Internet shutdowns and social media obstructions also took place. International media and election monitors described the elections as "corrupt and rife with human rights abuses."appraisedThe following is a list of the most common problems with the
The January 15, 2026 elections also did not deviate from the traditional pattern of elections filled with violence, intimidation, and other questionable practices by the ruling party. The Electoral Commission announced thatprovisional resultsAccording to the report, Museveni came out on top with 61.7% of the vote, followed by Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP), who received 33.6%.
A rally calling for the opposition to vote in the 2011 presidential election (Photo:gaborbasch / Shutterstock)
Cycle of oppression and incorporation
Over the years, Museveni has relied on intimidation, less-than-legal legal action, and the capture of opposition forces in order to maintain power. Security forces have consistently broken up opposition demonstrations, used excessive force against peaceful gatherings, and unjustly detained activists; these actions, which were confirmed during the 2011 and 2016 election cycles, intensified further during the 2020-2021 election cycle. Human rights organizations have documented torture, enforced disappearances, and the unjust detention of opposition supporters during this period, and the regression of civil liberties under the NRM regime.Indication.The following is a list of the most common problems with the
The Museveni regime has also implemented a strategy of disengagement against opposition parties in order to maintain its influence. Several opposition elites have been incorporated into the NRM, creating discord within competing parties. For example, the appointment of Democratic Party (DP) leader Norberto Mao as Minister of Justice in 2022 and the cooperation agreement between the DP and the NRM illustrate the process by which a once independent party is absorbed into the regime and effectively becomes a non-party.
Besigye, for many years Museveni's most prominent political rival, left his party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), in 2024, when he claimed that his aides had received "dirty money" from the presidential administration. Besigye was arrested by Kenyan authorities in Kenya and subsequently handed over to Ugandan authorities, where he has been held since November 2024 until his military trial. In addition, discord within the NUP, led by Bobi Wine, has also deepened suspicions over allegiances and the division of opposition forces against the regime.promotionThe company is doing so.
Civil society organizations and the media also face pressure from the regime's restrictive laws, threats of deregistration, and harassment by security officials to prevent investigations into corruption and violence by security forces and discussions of succession issues. The government has violently opposed a European diplomat's meeting with Bobi Wine on human rights issues, calling it an interference and funding attempt at regime change.blameThe first time, the company was in a position to do so.
Slogans calling for unity written on the walls of Kampala (photo:Craig Morey / Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0])
Concerns over succession
The rise of Museveni's son, General Mukhoj Kainergaba, in the political arena has been a source of concern for many. This stems not only from concerns about a possible hereditary transition of power, but also from the aggressive statements he has made. For example, in 2022, he made a social media post suggesting the invasion of KenyaGone........ That same year, he was appointed to attend a congressional committee set up to investigate issues related to the political involvement of the military.refusalHe did so. He has also made threats against politicians who oppose his father; after the 2026 presidential election, Kainergaba called opposition candidate Bobi Wine "an outlaw and a rebel" on social media and said he would deal with him accordingly.posting (e.g. to a newsgroup or mailing list)The first time, the company was in a position to do so.
Uganda has not experienced a single peaceful transition of presidential power since independence, and all historical transitions of power have taken place in ways not contemplated by the constitution due to coups, conflicts, or other disruptions. In this regard, elections have been reduced to a formal ritual with predictable outcomes, andpointing outThe company has been
The most recent elections have not yet been fully settled, despite the provisional results declaring Museveni the winner. The shutdown of the Internet and the detention of opposition leaders and supporters during the elections indicate that the ruling party is aware of the potential for united opposition action to escalate into violence.suggestionHe has been doing so. Bobi Wine claimed that the judicial system is corrupt and that he will not contest the election results in the courts, but at the same time, he urged the public to stand up for peaceful changeHe called out.The following is a list of the most common problems with the
Despite the results of the 2026 elections and the strong-arm measures being used to keep Museveni in power, economic discontent continues to grow, especially among the younger generation. The current situation in Uganda is far from sustainable.
The streets of Kampala, the capital of Uganda (Photo:Lauren Parnell Marino / Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0])
2 GNV uses the ethical poverty line (US$7.4 per day) instead of the World Bank's extreme poverty line (US$1.9 per day). For more information, please refer to GNV's article "How do you read the global poverty situation?"See also.
Writer: Gaius Ilboudo
Graphic: Ayane Ishida
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