KAMPALA, Uganda — For millions of Ugandans, there has only ever been one face on the political posters, one voice on the radio, and one hand on the tiller of the nation.
On Tuesday, Yoweri Museveni, now 81, was sworn in for his seventh consecutive term. By the time this five-year mandate concludes, he will have led the country for over four decades.
But as the thousands gathered in the Kampala suburb of Kololo cheered the familiar sight of the President receiving the ceremonial instruments of power, the atmosphere was less about a new beginning and more about the inevitable sunset of an era.
A Family Affair?
While the day belonged to the father, the shadow of the son loomed large over the parade ground.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the President’s son and the head of the army, had spent days meticulously overseeing the rehearsals for the event. The roar of Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets over the capital served as a noisy reminder of the military might he now commands.
General Muhoozi has made little secret of his desire to succeed his father. While critics argue his path to a democratic victory is improbable, his position as the “presumptive heir” has become the central talking point in Kampala’s cafes and markets.
The Only Life They’ve Known
In a country where the median age is just 16, the vast majority of Ugandans have never seen a transition of power. For them, Museveni is not just a president; he is a permanent fixture of life.
However, even his most ardent supporters acknowledge that nature is catching up with the “old man with the hat.”
- The Transition: The question on everyone’s mind is no longer if he will leave, but how.
- The Anxiety: There is a quiet concern about whether the eventual handover will be a smooth constitutional process or a fractured family succession.
An Orderly Exit?
As Museveni took his eighth oath of office, the spectacle was as grand as ever. But behind the military precision and the cheering crowds lies a nation in a state of suspended animation.
Ugandans are now watching the clock. What remains to be seen is whether the President will spend these next five years carefully grooming a successor to ensure an orderly exit, or if the transition will be as turbulent as the fighter jets that circled the capital on his big day.
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