It reinforces the 81-year-old's claim that he still commands the support of the overwhelming majority of Ugandans, after seizing power as a rebel commander in 1986 ending the rule of the Milton Obote regime. Viewed through that lens, the election appears less a moment of transformation than a ritual of the political calendar, one that legitimises deeper, slower shifts taking place within the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), and the state machinery that it controls. It provided the clearest indication yet of the growing influence within the ruling party of army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba - the son of the president and his potential successor.
Published at: 2026-01-17 19:55:16
Still want to read the full version? Full article
