Uganda’s Museveni inaugurated for seventh term in office
Uganda yesterday held the swearing-in ceremony of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala, marking the start of his seventh term in office and the continuation of his presidency that began in 1986.
The ceremony drew regional heads of state, senior government officials, diplomats, religious leaders, and guests. Museveni took the oath of office before the Chief Justice, officially beginning another five-year mandate under the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
In his address, Museveni focused on economic transformation, with emphasis on production, industrialisation, and household participation in the economy. He said:
“The future of Uganda lies in production, not just consumption. Every homestead must join the money economy.”
He further highlighted the need for increased value addition and domestic production:
“We must build an economy that produces what it consumes and exports what it produces.”
On industrialisation, he noted:
“Raw materials alone do not create prosperity. Wealth is created when we add value through factories, skills, and organised markets.”
Museveni urged continued engagement in commercial agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, and services, describing them as central to Uganda’s long-term economic agenda.
The 2026 inauguration comes 40 years after Museveni first assumed office in January 1986, following a guerrilla war led by the National Resistance Army (NRA). In his first inaugural address, he stated:
“This is not a mere change of guards, but a fundamental change in the politics of our country.”
Subsequent inaugurations have marked the continuity of his leadership alongside ongoing political debate over governance, democratic competition, and succession.
Yesterday’s ceremony featured a military parade, a 21-gun salute, and formal state protocols, in line with established presidential inauguration procedures.
Museveni’s seventh term is scheduled to run until 2031, with government policy direction continuing to prioritise industrialisation and socio-economic transformation.
