President Museveni will be sworn in for a new term on May 12, 2026, following his victory in the January 16 general election.
The inauguration ceremony, as is tradition, will be held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala.
This year’s event will run under the theme: “Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status,” reflecting the government’s focus on sustaining past achievements while accelerating Uganda’s economic transformation.
According to the Uganda Media Centre, preparations for the high-profile ceremony are already underway.
A national organising committee chaired by Yunus Kakande, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, is overseeing logistics and coordination.
Uganda Media Centre Executive Director Alan Kasujja said the event is expected to attract significant international attention.
“Many dignitaries from around the world are expected to attend,” Kasujja said.
Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, was declared winner of a tightly contested presidential race, securing 7,944,772 votes (71.65%).
His closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu of the National Unity Platform (NUP), garnered 2,741,238 votes (24.72%) out of 11,366,201 ballots cast, translating into a voter turnout of 52.5 percent.
Despite the outcome, Kyagulanyi rejected the results, alleging electoral irregularities and vowing to challenge Museveni’s continued stay in power.
He later left the country for what he described as a temporary stay in the United States after a period of remaining out of the public eye.
In a separate development, former National Peasants Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Robert Kasibante, filed a petition in court citing widespread electoral malpractices, including violence, alleged misuse of state resources, irregularities in the voters’ register, and undue influence over the Electoral Commission.
However, Kasibante later withdrew the case, citing lack of funds to pursue it to conclusion.
Museveni’s 71.65 percent victory margin fell short of the 80 percent target he had projected on polling day.
By the end of his new term in 2031, Museveni will have been in power for 45 years, having taken office in 1986 following the Ugandan Bush War.
The upcoming swearing-in is expected to draw regional leaders, diplomats, and international partners, marking the start of another term for one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
