The son of Uganda’s long-serving leader Yoweri Museveni announced on Saturday he had abandoned ambitions to run for presidency at the next election in 2026, urging his supporters to endorse his father instead.
Despite not having officially announced his candidacy, President Museveni, who has served as the nation’s leader for 38 years, is generally anticipated to seek reelection.
“I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026,” Muhoozi Kainerugaba wrote on the social media site X, which was once known as Twitter.
“I urge my supporters to support President Yoweri Museveni for a seventh term,” he declared, endorsing the man in the next elections.
Although he is currently in charge of the nation’s armed forces, Kainerugaba is also well-known for his divisive remarks and is anticipated to succeed his father as head of state in the future. In 2022, Museveni expressed regret to Kenya after his son made threats to invade the neighboring country on Twitter.
Museveni has long been charged by the opposition with trying to install a monarchy on the country; the president disputes this.
The 80-year-old Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986, and in order to prolong his reign, he twice amended the constitution.
Human rights advocates and those who oppose him politically, such as pop singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, have long charged Museveni with abusing security forces to imprison, threaten, or torture opponents. Museveni refutes these allegations.
In the most recent presidential election (2021), wine finished second. He protested the results, claiming that his supporters had been kidnapped, intimidated, and ballots stuffed.
It was Uganda’s fairest vote ever, according to Museveni.
(Reuters)
