Museveni secures 2026 nomination, 40 years in power and counting

Kampala, Uganda – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was today officially nominated by the Electoral Commission (EC) as a candidate in Uganda’s 2026 presidential elections. The declaration was made at around 10:00 a.m. by Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC chairperson, during a ceremony held at the Commission’s proposed new headquarters in Lubowa, Kampala.

Justice Byabakama described the nomination process as a “critical moment in Uganda’s political and democratic journey,” stressing that the EC is committed to conducting the entire exercise with “integrity, transparency, and professionalism.” He confirmed that Museveni had fulfilled all requirements under the Presidential Elections Act, including the mandatory signatures of at least 100 registered voters from no fewer than 98 districts.

“Therefore, I, Justice Simon Byabakama, declare Museveni Yoweri Kaguta duly nominated in respect of the Presidential Elections 2026,” he announced.

Following his nomination, Museveni received key materials and privileges accorded to presidential candidates, including the National Voters’ Register in soft copy and a designated campaign security vehicle.

Museveni speaks after nomination

Addressing the media, supporters and NRM leaders after the ceremony, Museveni thanked the EC for its “detailed work” in verifying his candidature. He also expressed gratitude to his party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), for re-electing him as party chairperson and flag bearer.

The President used his post-nomination remarks to highlight Uganda’s economic progress under his leadership, noting that the country’s GDP had doubled over the past five years from USD 34 billion to USD 66 billion.

He outlined two major priorities for the coming term:

Consolidating middle-class and foreign investment to move Uganda from lower-middle-income to upper-middle-income status.
Addressing mass concerns, including universal participation in the money economy, improved education in government schools, timely road maintenance, reliable healthcare, clean water, and tackling crime and corruption.

Museveni also emphasized that Uganda remains an attractive investment destination due to what he termed the “three Ps” — peaceful, profitable, and predictable.

Speaking shortly after his nomination on X (formerly Twitter), Museveni thanked his party for reaffirming his candidacy:

“I want to thank the NRM members for entrusting and electing me as the NRM Presidential flag bearer for the 2026–2031 term. In this economy, the GDP of Uganda has doubled currently in the recent Kisanja from $34 billion to $66 billion. You have everything today that you lacked in the past: electricity, roads, telephones, manpower, the educated people, and peace. That’s why we are being flooded by many investors because they are looking for a peaceful and profitable area where to invest.

Our priorities for this term include:

Wealth creation: Everybody should be involved in the money economy.
Education: All children in government primary and secondary schools should study for free.
Infrastructure: Roads should be tarmacked on time and murram roads should be maintained.
Crime: There is peace in the country but there’s a bit of crime and impunity. The NRM structures should come out and fight them.
Corruption: We should get rid of it.
Health: Immunisation is doing very well. We should also ensure the drugs are not stolen.
Water: Have safe clean water for all villages.

Nomination period and campaign roadmap

The EC confirmed that the nomination window for presidential candidates runs from August 11 to September 24, 2025. By September 12, a total of 225 aspirants had collected nomination forms, though only 41 had returned completed submissions. The Commission is still verifying the signatures of other hopefuls.

Once the nomination process concludes, the EC will meet with all nominated candidates between September 25–27 to harmonize campaign programs. Campaigns are scheduled to officially begin on September 29, 2025, and will run until January 12, 2026.

Justice Byabakama reminded candidates and supporters to avoid unlawful processions and to respect public facilities such as schools, hospitals, and markets during campaign activities.

This marks Museveni’s eighth consecutive nomination since he first came to power in 1986. While the ruling NRM has consistently praised his leadership for bringing peace and development, opposition figures and critics argue that the long-serving president has entrenched authoritarianism and eroded democratic institutions.

Despite these criticisms, Museveni remains the dominant force in Ugandan politics, with the state machinery and party structures firmly behind his bid for another term.