KAMPALA, Uganda

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni on Monday nominated himself to run for a seventh term in office.

Museveni has been in power for 39 years, making him Africa's fourth-longest-ruling leader. The ruling party has changed the constitution twice in the past to allow him to extend his rule. He came to power following an armed uprising in 1986 and will be 81 years old by voting day.

Museveni’s main challenger in the January 2026 poll will be the 43-year-old Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, a former pop star-turned-politician, who will be nominated on Wednesday.

Bobi Wine has repeatedly denounced the 2021 election as fraudulent, citing ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and a security apparatus hostile to his campaign. He has already declared the 2026 poll a “protest vote” against state brutality and systemic failures of Museveni's government.

Rights groups have long accused Museveni of using security forces and state patronage to maintain his grip on power; however, he has denied the accusations, claiming that his long rule is due to popular support.

The Opposition People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), a party associated with Uganda’s veteran opposition politician, retired colonel Kizza Besigye, announced it will not field a presidential candidate, as its leader is out of the race. He remains in jail since he was abducted from Nairobi, Kenya, on Nov. 16, 2024, and repatriated to Kampala. He faces charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and treachery. Dr. Besigye has consistently accused the president of electoral fraud.

Party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju said if a consensus is reached, the PFF will back the chosen candidate. If not, the party will announce its next steps after nominations close.

Alongside the presidential vote, Ugandans will also elect members of parliament in January, setting the stage for a highly charged and consequential political contest.