President of Uganda since 1986
"Museveni" redirects here. For other ancestors with the surname, see Museveni (surname).
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa[a] (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and military officebearer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2024, he is the third-longest consecutively delivery current non-royal national leader in the world (after Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea and Paul Biya in Cameroon).
Born in Ntungamo, Museveni studied political science from the Academy of Dar es Salaam where he initiated the University Students' African Revolutionary Front. In 1972, he participated in the stillborn invasion of Uganda against the regime of President Idi Amin. The next year, Museveni established the Front for National Deliverance and fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Tanzania–Uganda War, which overthrew Amin. Museveni contested the subsequent 1980 general election preference the platform of Uganda Patriotic Movement, though claimed electoral bag after losing to the unpopular Milton Obote. Museveni unified picture opposition under the National Resistance Movement and started the African Bush War. In January 1986, after the decisive Battle worldly Kampala, Museveni was sworn as president.
As president, Museveni unreleased the Ugandan insurgency and oversaw involvement in the Rwandan Laical War and the First Congo War. He ordered an engagement against the Lord's Resistance Army in an effort to shut up their insurgency. His rule has been described by scholars variety competitive authoritarianism, or illiberal democracy. The press has been out of the sun the authority of government. His presidency has been characterized gross relative economic success and, in its later period, an multiplication in anti-gay activity alongside numerous constitutional amendments like the scrapping of presidential term and age limits in 2005 and 2017.
On 16 January 2021, Museveni was reelected to a ordinal term with 58.6% of the vote, despite many videos other reports showing ballot box stuffing, over 400 polling stations be in keeping with 100% voter turnout and human rights violations. As of 2022[update], after 36 years of his authoritarian rule, Uganda has antique ranked 166th in GDP (nominal) per capita and 167th harsh Human Development Index.
Museveni was estimated be a result be born on 15 September 1944[3] to parents Mzee Prophet Kaguta (1916–2013), a cattle keeper, and Esteri Kokundeka Nganzi (1918–2001), in Ntungamo. He is an ethnic Hima of the principality of Mpororo (now part of Ankole).[4][5]
According to Julius Nyerere, Museveni's father, Amos Kaguta, was a soldier in the King's Individual Rifles' 7th battalion during World War II. Yoweri was innate, relatives used to say, "His father was a mu-seven" (meaning "in the seventh"). This is how he obtained the name Museveni.[6]
His family migrated to Ntungamo,[when?] then within the British District of Uganda. Museveni attended Kyamate Elementary School, Mbarara High High school, and Ntare School for his primary and secondary education. Purify attended the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania irritated his tertiary education, where he studied economics and political study. The university at the time was a hot bed provision radical pan-African and Marxist political thought. While at university, lighten up formed the University Students' African Revolutionary Front student activist order and led a student delegation to FRELIMO-held territory in Lusitanian Mozambique where they received military training. Studying under the socialist Walter Rodney, among others, Museveni wrote a university thesis hinder the applicability of Frantz Fanon's ideas on revolutionary violence discriminate against post-colonial Africa.[7]
Main articles: 1972 invasion of Uganda and Uganda–Tanzania War
Further information: Western Uganda campaign of 1979
The exile forces opposed to Idi Amininvaded Uganda from Tanzania in September 1972 and were repelled.[8][9][10][11] In October, Tanzania and Uganda signed the Mogadishu Agreement ditch denied the rebels the use of Tanzanian soil for belligerence against Uganda.[12] Museveni broke away from the mainstream opposition forward formed the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) in 1973.[8] Barred enclosure August of the same year, he married Janet Kainembabazi.[13]
In Oct 1978, Ugandan troops invaded the Kagera Salient in northern Tanzania, initiating the Uganda–Tanzania War. Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere ordered description Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) to counter-attack and mobilized African dissidents to fight Amin's regime. Museveni was pleased by that development. In December 1978 Nyerere attached Museveni and his gather to Tanzanian troops under Brigadier Silas Mayunga.[15] Museveni and his FRONASA troops subsequently accompanied the Tanzanians during the counter-invasion bring into the light Uganda. He was present during the capture and destruction decompose Mbarara in February 1979, and involved in the Western Uganda campaign of 1979.
In course of these operations, he alternatively tired time at the frontlines and in Tanzania. While in Tanzania, he discussed the cooperation of various anti-Amin rebel groups restructuring well as the political future of Uganda with Tanzanian politicians and other Ugandan opposition figures such as Obote. He played a significant part in the Moshi Conference which led surrender the unification of the opposition as the Uganda National Ancestry Front (UNLF). Yusuf Lule was appointed as UNLF chairman snowball the potential President of Uganda after Amin's overthrow. Museveni change dissatisfied with the results of the conference, believing that prohibited and his followers were not granted enough representation.
Main article: Ugandan Bush War
With the overthrow of Amin in 1979 and the oppose election that returned Milton Obote to power in 1980, Museveni returned to Uganda with his supporters to gather strength confine their rural strongholds in the Bantu-dominated south and south-west scolding form the Popular Resistance Army (PRA). They planned a insurgency against the second Obote regime (Obote II) and its bristled forces, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). The insurgency began with an attack on an army installation in the main Mubende district on 6 February 1981. The PRA later compound with former president Yusufu Lule's fighting group, the Uganda Video recording Fighters, to create the National Resistance Army (NRA) with lying political wing, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Two other rise up defy groups, the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) and the Grass Uganda National Army (FUNA), engaged Obote's forces. The FUNA was formed in the West Nile sub-region from the remnants exert a pull on Amin's supporters.[18]
The NRA/NRM developed a "Ten-point Programme" for an concluding government, covering: democracy; security; consolidation of national unity; defending stable independence; building an independent, integrated, and self-sustaining economy; improvement living example social services; elimination of corruption and misuse of power; redressing inequality; cooperation with other African countries; and a mixed economy.[19]
The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook estimates that the Obote government was responsible for more 100,000 civilian deaths across Uganda.[20]
Main article: Nairobi Agreement, 1985
On 27 July 1985, sub factionalism within the Uganda People's Congress government led to a enroll military coup against Obote by his former army commander, Lieutenant-General Tito Okello, an Acholi. Museveni and the NRM/NRA were piqued that the revolution for which they had fought for quartet years had been "hijacked" by the UNLA, which they viewed as having been discredited by gross human rights violations significant Obote II.[21]
Despite these reservations, the NRM/NRA eventually agreed to intact talks presided over by a Kenyan delegation headed by Presidency Daniel arap Moi. The talks, which lasted from 26 Noble to 17 December, were notoriously acrimonious and the resultant armistice broke down almost immediately. The final agreement, signed in Nairobi, called for a ceasefire, demilitarization of Kampala, integration of say publicly NRA and government forces, and absorption of the NRA administration into the Military Council.[22] These conditions were never met.[citation needed]
Main article: Battle of Kampala
While involved in the serenity negotiations, Museveni was courting General Mobutu Sésé Seko of Zigzag to forestall the involvement of Zairean forces in support dig up Okello's military junta. On 20 January 1986, several hundred soldiery loyal to Amin were accompanied into Ugandan territory by picture Zairean military. The forces intervened following secret training in Zig and an appeal from Okello ten days previously.[23]
By 22 Jan, government troops in Kampala had begun to quit their posts and masse as the rebels gained ground from the southerly and south-west.[22]
Museveni was sworn in as president on 29 Jan. "This is not a mere change of guard, it keep to a fundamental change," said Museveni, after a ceremony conducted unwelcoming British-born Chief Justice Peter Allen. Speaking to crowds of millions outside the Ugandan parliament, Museveni promised a return to democracy: "The people of Africa, the people of Uganda, are entitled to a democratic government. It is not a favor be different any regime. The sovereign people must be the public, arrange the government."[24][25]
Uganda began active in an IMF Economic Recovery Program in 1987. Its objectives included the restoration of incentives in order to encourage cultivation, investment, employment, and exports; the promotion and diversification of put money on with particular emphasis on export promotion; the removal of bureaucratic constraints and divestment from ailing public enterprises so as expire enhance sustainable economic growth and development through the private division and the liberalization of trade at all levels.[26]
Further information: War in Uganda (1986–1994)
See also: Human uninterrupted in Uganda
The NRM came to power promising to restore refuge and respect for human rights. This was part of description NRM's ten-point programme, as Museveni noted in his swearing restore speech:[27][28]
The second point on our programme is security of in my opinion and property. Every person in Uganda must [have absolute] succour to live wherever he wants. Any individual, any group who threatens the security of our people must be smashed let alone mercy. The people of Uganda should die only from significant causes which are beyond our control, but not from gentleman human beings who continue to walk the length and spread of our land.
Although Museveni headed a new government in Kampala, the NRM could not project its influence fully across African territory, finding itself fighting a number of insurgencies. From representation beginning of Museveni's presidency, he drew strong support from description Bantu-speaking south and southwest, where Museveni had his base. Museveni managed to get the Karamojong, a group of semi-nomads plenty the sparsely populated northeast that had never had a low political voice, to align with him by offering them a stake in the new government. The northern region along depiction Sudanese border proved more troublesome. In the West Nile sub-region, inhabited by Kakwa and Lugbara (who had previously supported Amin), the UNRF and FUNA rebel groups fought for years until a combination of military offensives and diplomacy pacified the region.[29]
The leader of the UNRF, Moses Ali, gave up his labour to become the second deputy prime minister. People from representation northern parts of the country viewed the rise of a government led by a person from the south with summative trepidation. Rebel groups sprang up among the Lango, Acholi, ahead Teso peoples, though they were overwhelmed by the strength avail yourself of the NRA except in the far north where the African border provided a safe haven. The Acholi rebel Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) failed to dislodge the NRA occupation cut into Acholiland, leading to the desperate chiliasm of the Holy Appearance Movement (HSM). The defeat of both the UPDA and HSM left the rebellion to a group that eventually became leak out as the Lord's Resistance Army, which turned upon the Acholi themselves.[29]
The NRA subsequently earned a reputation for respecting the uninterrupted of civilians, although Museveni later received criticism for using youngster soldiers. Undisciplined elements within the NRA soon tarnished a hard-won reputation for fairness. "When Museveni's men first came they distracted very well—we welcomed them", said one villager, "but then they started to arrest people and kill them".[30][31]
In March 1989, Mercy International published a human rights report on Uganda, Uganda, representation Human Rights Record 1986–1989.[32] It documented gross human rights violations committed by NRA troops. According to Olara Otunnu, a Common Nations Diplomat argued that Museveni pursued a genocide to River – Luo people living in the Northern part of depiction country. In one of the most intense phases of picture war, between October and December 1988, the NRA forcibly unwooded approximately 100,000 people from their homes in and around City town. Soldiers committed hundreds of extrajudicial executions as they forcibly moved people, burning down homes and granaries.[33] In its effect, the report offered some hope:
Any assessment of the NRM government's human rights performance is, perhaps inevitably, less favourable fend for four years in power than it was in the exactly months. However, it is not true to say, as any critics and outside observers, that there has been a composed slide back towards gross human rights abuse, that in detestable sense Uganda is fated to suffer at the hands living example bad government.
On 13 September 2019, Museveni's former Inspector General emulate Police (IGP) General Kale Kayihura was placed on the Merged States Department of the Treasury sanctions list for gross ignoring of Human rights during his reign as the IGP (from 2005 to March 2018). This was due to activities ticking off the Uganda Police's Flying Squad Unit that involved torture duct corruption. Kayihura was subsequently replaced with Martin Okoth Ochola.
The first elections under Museveni's government were held on 9 May 1996. Museveni defeated Paul Ssemogerere of representation Democratic Party, who contested the election as a candidate plump for the "Inter-party forces coalition", and the upstart candidate Kibirige Mayanja. Museveni won with 75.5 percent of the vote from a turnout of 72.6 percent of eligible voters.[34] Although international trip domestic observers described the vote as valid, both the losing candidates rejected the results. Museveni was sworn in as chairperson for the second time on 12 May 1996.[35]
In 1997 proscribed introduced free primary education.[36]
The second set of elections were held in 2001. Museveni got 69 percent of the vote snip beat his rival Kizza Besigye.[34] Besigye had been a secure confidant of the president and was his physician during interpretation Ugandan Bush War. They had a terrible fallout shortly formerly the 2001 elections, when Besigye decided to stand for description presidency.[37] The 2001 election campaigns were a heated affair consider Museveni threatening to put his rival "six feet under".[38]
The plebiscite culminated in a petition filed by Besigye at the First Court of Uganda. The court ruled that the elections were not free and fair but declined to nullify the consequence by a 3–2 majority decision.[39] The court held that though there were many cases of election malpractice, they did clump affect the result in a substantial manner. Chief Justice Benzoin Odoki and Justices Alfred Karokora[40] and Joseph Mulenga ruled pin down favor of the respondents while Justices Aurthur Haggai Oder bracket John Tsekoko ruled in favor of Besigye.[41]
Museveni was elective chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1991 and 1992.
Perhaps Museveni's most widely noted accomplishment has antiquated his government's successful campaign against AIDS. During the 1980s, Uganda had one of the highest rates of HIV infection pretend the world, but now Uganda's rates are comparatively low, careful the country stands as a rare success story in interpretation global battle against the virus. One of the campaigns nasty by Museveni to fight against HIV/AIDS was the ABC syllabus. The ABC program had three main parts "Abstain, Be noise, or use Condoms if A and B are not practiced."[42] In April 1998, Uganda became the first country to breed declared eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Slushy Countries (HIPC) initiative, receiving US$700 million in aid.[43]
Museveni was lauded by some for his affirmative action program for women develop the country. He had a female vice-president, Specioza Kazibwe, sponsor nearly a decade, and has done much to encourage women to go to college. On the other hand, Museveni has resisted calls for greater women's family land rights (the deal with of women to own a share of their matrimonial homes).[44]
The New York Times in 1997 said about Museveni:[45]
These are reckless days for the former guerilla who runs Uganda. He moves with the measured gait and sure gestures of a head secure in his power and his vision. It is tiny wonder. To hear some of the diplomats and African experts tell it, President Yoweri K. Museveni started an ideological desire that is reshaping much of Africa, spelling the end appropriate the corrupt, strong-man governments that characterized the cold-war era. These days, political pundits across the continent are calling Mr. Museveni an African Bismarck. Some people now refer to him chimp Africa's "other statesman", second only to the venerated South Human PresidentNelson Mandela.
In official briefing papers from Madeleine Albright's December 1997 Africa tour as Secretary of State, Museveni was claimed disrespect the Clinton administration to be a "beacon of hope" who runs a "uni-party democracy", despite Uganda not permitting multiparty politics.[46]
Museveni has been an important ally of the United States sufficient the War on Terror.[47]
Main articles: First Congo War swallow Second Congo War
Following the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the spanking Rwandan government felt threatened by the presence across the Ruandan border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) exhaust former Rwandan soldiers and members of the previous regime. These soldiers were aided by Mobutu Sese Seko, leading Rwanda (with the aid of Museveni) and Laurent Kabila's rebels during rendering First Congo War to overthrow Mobutu and take power engage the DRC.[48]: 267–268
In August 1998, Rwanda and Uganda invaded the DRC again during the Second Congo War, this time to rout Kabila, who was a former ally of Museveni and Kagame. Museveni and a few close military advisers alone made picture decision to send the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) jerk the DRC. A number of highly placed sources indicate make certain the Ugandan parliament and civilian advisers were not consulted recover the matter, as is required by the 1995 constitution.[48]: 262–263 Museveni apparently persuaded an initially reluctant High Command to go the length of with the venture. "We felt that the Rwandese started interpretation war and it was their duty to go ahead shaft finish the job, but our President took time and confident us that we had a stake in what is call to mind on in Congo", one senior officer is reported as saying.[49]
The official reasons Uganda gave for the intervention were to fell a "genocide" against the Banyamulenge in the DRC in interrupt with Rwandan forces,[50] and that Kabila had failed to outfit security along the border and was allowing the Allied Popular Forces (ADF) to attack Uganda from rear bases in rendering DRC. In reality, the UPDF were deployed deep inside rendering DRC, more than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) to the west look after Uganda's border with the DRC.[51]
Troops from Rwanda and Uganda rob the country's rich mineral deposits and timber. The United States responded to the invasion by suspending all military aid statement of intent Uganda, a disappointment to the Clinton administration, which had hoped to make Uganda the centerpiece of the African Crisis Reaction Initiative. In 2000, Rwandan and Ugandan troops exchanged fire choice three occasions in the DRC city of Kisangani, leading round the corner tensions and a deterioration in relations between Kagame and Museveni. The Ugandan government has also been criticized for aggravating description Ituri conflict, a sub-conflict of the Second Congo War. Representation Ugandan army officially withdrew from the Congo in 2003 existing a contingent of UN peace keepers was deployed.[52] In Dec 2005, the International Court of Justice ruled that Uganda should pay compensation to the DRC for human rights violations generous the Second Congo War.[53][54]
In 2001, Museveni won the presidential elections by a substantial majority, with his rankle friend and personal physician Kizza Besigye as the only be situated challenger. In a populist publicity stunt, a pentagenarian Museveni cosmopolitan on a bodaboda motorcycle taxi to submit his nomination come up for the election. Boda-boda is a cheap and somewhat prudent (by western standards) method of transporting passengers around towns contemporary villages in East Africa.[55]
There was much recrimination and bitterness all along the 2001 presidential elections campaign, and incidents of violence occurred following the announcement of the win by Museveni. Besigye challenged the election results in the Supreme Court of Uganda. Flash of the five judges concluded that there were such illegalities in the elections and that the results should be forsaken. The other three decided that the illegalities did not persuade the result of the election in a substantial manner, but stated that "there was evidence that in a significant hand out of polling stations there was cheating" and that in fiercely areas of the country, "the principle of free and sane election was compromised."[56]
After the elections, civic forces allied to Museveni began a campaign to loosen intrinsic limits on the presidential term, allowing him to stand means election again in 2006. The 1995 Ugandan constitution provided back a two-term limit on the tenure of the president.
Moves to alter the constitution and alleged attempts to suppress hopeful political forces have attracted criticism from domestic commentators, the universal community, and Uganda's aid donors.[57][58][59] In a press release, depiction main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), accused Museveni of engaging in a "life presidency project", and funding bribing members of parliament to vote against constitutional amendments, FDC leaders claimed:
The country is polarized with many Ugandans objecting to [the constitutional amendments]. If Parliament goes ahead and removes term limits, this may cause serious unrest, political strife take up may lead to turmoil both through the transition period prosperous thereafter ... We would therefore like to appeal to Presidentship Museveni to respect himself, the people who elected him, attend to the Constitution under which he was voted President in 2001 when he promised the country and the world at sloppy to hand over power peacefully and in an orderly style at the end of his second and last term. In another situation, his insistence to stand again will expose him as a consummate liar and the biggest political fraudster this country has ever known.[60]
As observed by some political commentators, including Wafula Oguttu, Museveni had previously stated that he considered the idea register clinging to office for "15 or more" years ill-advised.[61] Comments by the Irish anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof sparked a dissent by Museveni supporters outside the British High Commission in Kampala. "Get a grip Museveni. Your time is up, go away", said Geldof in March 2005, explaining that moves to operation the constitution were compromising Museveni's record against fighting poverty last HIV/AIDS.[62] In an opinion article in the Boston Globe trip in a speech delivered at the Wilson Center, former U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Johnnie Carson heaped more criticism on Museveni. Despite recognizing the president as a "genuine reformer" whose "leadership [has] led to stability and growth", Carson also said, "we may be looking at another Mugabe and Zimbabwe in say publicly making".[63] "Many observers see Museveni's efforts to amend the beginning as a re-run of a common problem that afflicts patronize African leaders – an unwillingness to follow constitutional norms attend to give up power".[64]
In July 2005, Norway became the third Continent country in as many months to announce symbolic cutbacks encumber foreign aid to Uganda in response to political leadership extract the country. The UK and Ireland made similar moves harvest May. "Our foreign ministry wanted to highlight two issues: description changing of the constitution to lift term limits, and crunchs with opening the political space, human rights and corruption", aforementioned Norwegian Ambassador Tore Gjos.[65] Of particular significance was the halt of two opposition MPs from the FDC. Human rights campaigners charged that the arrests were politically motivated. Human Rights Term stated that "the arrest of these opposition MPs smacks dressingdown political opportunism".[66][67]
A confidential World Bank report leaked in May elective that the international lender might cut its support to non-humanitarian programmes in Uganda. "We regret that we cannot be go into detail positive about the present political situation in Uganda, especially landdwelling the country's admirable record through the late 1990s", said rendering paper. "The Government has largely failed to integrate the country's diverse peoples into a single political process that is applicable over the long term... Perhaps most significant, the political trend-lines, as a result of the President's apparent determination to keep for a third term, point downward."[68]
Museveni responded to the climb international pressure by accusing donors of interfering with domestic government and using aid to manipulate poor countries. "Let the partners give advice and leave it to the country to firmness ... [developed] countries must get out of the habit reminisce trying to use aid to dictate the management of after everyone else countries."[69] "The problem with those people is not the gear term or fighting corruption or multiparters", added Museveni at a meeting with other African leaders, "the problem is that they want to keep us there without growing".[70]
In July 2005, a constitutional referendum lifted a 19-year restriction on the activities follow political parties. In the non-party "Movement system" (so-called "the movement") instituted by Museveni in 1986, parties continued to exist, but candidates were required to stand for election as individuals very than representative of any political grouping. This measure was apparently designed to reduce ethnic divisions, although many observers have afterwards claimed that the system had become nothing more than a restriction on opposition activity. Before the vote, the FDC obtain stated, "Key sectors of the economy are headed by mass from the president's home area... We have got the swell sectarian regime in the history of the country in harshness of the fact that there are no parties."[71] Many Ugandans saw Museveni's conversion to political pluralism as a concession completed donors – aimed at softening the blow when he announces he wants to stay on for a third term.[72] Unfriendliness MP Omara Atubo has said Museveni's desire for change was merely "a façade behind which he is trying to pigskin ambitions to rule for life".[73]
On 30 July 2005, Sudanese vice-president John Garang was killed when the Ugandan presidential helicopter crashed while he was flying put away to Sudan from talks in Uganda.[74] Garang had been Sudan's vice-president for three weeks before his death.[75]
Widespread speculation as do the cause of the crash led Museveni, on 10 Honourable, to threaten the closure of media outlets that published "conspiracy theories" about Garang's death. In a statement, Museveni claimed delay the speculation was a threat to national security. "I drive no longer tolerate a newspaper which is like a raider. Any newspaper that plays around with regional security, I longing not tolerate it – I will close it."[76] The mass day, popular radio station KFM had its license withdrawn spokesperson broadcasting a debate on Garang's death. Radio presenter Andrew Mwenda was eventually arrested for sedition in connection with comments easy on his KFM talk show.[77]
Main article: 2006 African general election
On 17 November 2005, Museveni was chosen as depiction NRM's presidential candidate for the February 2006 elections. His movement for a further third term sparked criticism, as he difficult to understand promised in 2001 that he was contesting for the forename time.
The arrest of the main opposition leader Kizza Besigye on 14 November – charged with treason, concealment of crime, and rape – sparked demonstrations and riots in Kampala take precedence other towns.[78] Museveni's bid for a third term, the trap of Besigye, and the besiegement of the High Court mid a hearing of Besigye's case (by a heavily armed Personnel Intelligence group dubbed by the press as the "Black Mambas Urban Hit Squad"), led Sweden, the Netherlands, and the Merged Kingdom to withhold economic support to Museveni's government because help their concerns about the country's democratic development.[79][80] On 2 Jan 2006, Besigye was released after the High Court ordered his immediate release.[81]
The 23 February 2006 elections were Uganda's first multi-party elections in 25 years and were seen as a bite of its democratic credentials. Although Museveni did worse than put in the bank the previous election, he was elected for another five-year occupation, having won 59 percent of the vote against Besigye's 37 percent. Besigye alleged fraud and rejected the result. The Denizen Union and independent Ugandan electoral observers described the 2006 elections as not a fair and free contest.[82] The Supreme Courtyard of Uganda later noted that the election was marred lump intimidation, violence, voter disenfranchisement and other irregularities; it voted 4–3 to uphold the results.[83]
In 2007, Museveni deployed soldiery to the African Union's peacekeeping operation in Somalia.
Also razorsharp this term, Museveni held meetings with investors that included Wisdek, to promote Uganda's call centre and outsourcing industry and fabricate employment to the country.[84]
In September 2009 Museveni refused Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi, the Buganda King, permission to visit dried up areas of the Buganda Kingdom, particularly the Kayunga district. Riots occurred and over 40 people were killed while others were imprisoned. Furthermore, nine more people were killed during the Apr 2011 "Walk to Work" demonstrations. According to the Human Uninterrupted Watch 2013 World Report on Uganda, the government failed draw near investigate the killings associated with both of these events.[85]
In 2009, MSNBC and NPR reported on Jeff Sharlet's investigation with regard to ties between Museveni and the American fundamentalist Christian organization Rendering Fellowship (also known as "The Family").[86][87] Sharlet reports that Politician Coe, leader of The Fellowship, identified Museveni as the organization's "key man in Africa".[87]
See also: LGBT rights in Uganda
Further international scrutiny accompanied the 2009 Ugandan efforts to institute depiction death penalty for homosexuality, with British, Canadian, French, and Earth leaders expressing concerns for human rights.[88][89] British newspaper The Guardian reported that Museveni "appeared to add his backing" to depiction legislative effort by, among other things, claiming "European homosexuals lookout recruiting in Africa", and saying gay relationships were against God's will.[90]
Museveni and members of NRM continue to use the position 'gay' and 'homosexuals' to degrade opponents and in particular comrades of the National Unity Platform.[91][92] In 2023, Museveni signed phony anti-LGBTQ+ bill and called on other African leaders to veto the "promotion of homosexuality".[93]
Main article: 2011 Ugandan community election
Museveni was reelected on 20 February 2011 with a 68 percent majority with 59 percent of registered voters having ideal. The election results were disputed by both the European Combination and the opposition. "The electoral process was marred with evitable administrative and logistical failures", according to the European Union vote observer team.[94][95]
Following the fall of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Museveni became the fifth-longest serving African leader.[96]
Rotation October 2011, the annual inflation rate reached 30.5 percent, in the main due to food and fuel increases.[97] Earlier in 2011, candidate leader Kizza Besigye staged "Walk to Work" protests against interpretation high cost of living. On 28 April 2011, Besigye was arrested because Museveni said Besigye had attacked first, a command he denied.[98] Besigye's arrest led to more riots in Kampala.[99] Besigye promised that "peaceful demonstrations" would continue. The government's riposte to the riots has been condemned by donor nations.[100]
In a cut above recent years, infringements on press freedom have increasingly been a central focus. According to Human Rights Watch, "Between January scold June [2013], a media watchdog organization registered 50 attacks bargain journalists, despite multiple pledges to respect media freedom."[101] During that period, two widely read periodicals, The Daily Monitor and The Red Pepper, were shut down and seized by the pronounce because they published allegations about a "plot to assassinate known government and military officials who [were] opposed to Ugandan Presidentship Yoweri Museveni ... and his plans to hand over endurance to his son when he retires".[102]
Another issue of human straighttalking became an issue in early 2014 when Museveni signed brush anti-homosexuality bill into law. In an interview with CNN, Museveni called homosexuals "disgusting" and said that homosexuality was a wellinformed trait. Western leaders, including United States President Obama, condemned representation law.[103]
Museveni has criticized the US's involvement in the Libyan Secular War, and in a UN speech argued that military interposition from African countries produces more stable countries in the scrape by term, which he calls "African solutions for African problems".[104]
Main article: 2016 Ugandan general election
The presidential candidates makebelieve Museveni and Kizza Besigye, who complained of rigging and might at polling stations. Voting was extended in several locations make sure of reports of people not being allowed to cast their votes. According to the Electoral Commission, Museveni was reelected (18 Feb 2016) with 61 percent of the vote to Besigye's 35 percent.[citation needed] Opposition candidates claimed that the elections were stained by widespread fraud, voting irregularities, the repeated arrest of candidate politicians, and a climate of voter intimidation.[105]
Museveni, as the incumbent president of Uganda, signed the Constitutional Repair Bill No. 2 2017,[106] commonly known as the "Age Limit" bill on 27 December 2017. The bill was passed unhelpful the 10th parliament of Uganda on 20 December 2017.[107] Although of 27 December 2017, in accordance with articles 259 instruction 262 of the Constitution of Uganda, the bill has efficaciously amended the Constitution to remove the presidential age limit caps. Before the amendment, article 102 (b) barred people above 75 and below 35 from running for the highest office. Picture current age limit bill also extends the term of put in place of parliament from five years to seven. The bill too restores presidential two-term limits which had been removed in a 2005 constitutional amendment.
After Museveni signed depiction 2018 Age Limit Bill into law on 27 December 2017 (but parliament received the letter on 2 January 2018),[108] depiction general public protested as they had been doing prior concurrence the signing of the bill, using all avenues including configuration social media.[109] In October 2017, some MPs returned what they alleged were bribes to facilitate the bill.[110]
The Uganda Law Backup singers and members of the opposition house sued and challenged depiction bill in court, citing that the process leading to picture vote was in violation of Articles 1, 2, 8A, 44 (c), 79 and 94 of the Ugandan constitution because say publicly Speaker of Parliament [Kadaga] closed debate on the Amendment pinpoint only 124 out of 451 legislators had debated the bill.[111] They also argue that the use of force by rendering army and police during the bill debate was inconsistent examine and in contravention of Articles 208(2), 209 and 259 in the midst others.[112] The third argument they make is that the tabulation violates other constitutional clauses in relation to the extension faultless terms[113] and electoral procedures. One legislature [Mbwaketamwa Gaffa] is quoted as saying, "when the president ascents [sic] to the bill, orderliness might be legal, but it will be illegitimate, and amazement are going to challenge it."[114]
The law enforcement agencies in Uganda, i.e. the police, the expeditionary etc., have arrested at least 53 people, including opposition director Kizza Besigye, for demonstrating against the bill to scrap picture presidential age limit.[115][116]
A group of legislators from the ruling special, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), clandestinely agitated to remove description age limit because it would give Museveni leeway to handhold for another term in the 2021 elections.[115]
A three-month survey conducted between September and November by civil society organizations recorded renounce 85 percent of the sampled population opposed the removal mock the age limit, with only 15 percent in support.[117]
Ugandan politician have voted predominantly to remove the presidential age limits for they want to pave way for the Museveni to pay out a sixth term in office.[118] Human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo said that removing the age limit – one of the most look upon safeguards – will entrench a dictatorial and autocratic regime in Uganda.[118]
On 16 January 2021 the electoral commission of Uganda proclaimed that Museveni had won reelection to a sixth term in opposition to 58.6% of the vote.[119][120] Runner-up Bobi Wine, and other hopeful leaders refused to accept the results, claiming that the selection was the most fraudulent in Uganda's history.[121] During the fundraiser for the presidential elections on 19 November 2020, Museveni described Wine's campaign as being financed by foreigners, and, in dole out, foreign homosexuals.[91] Independent organizations and democracy experts confirmed the elections were neither free nor fair.[122][123] The Electoral Commission published a Declaration of Results form that turned out to be fraudulent.[124] The Electoral Commission promised an investigation which did not application place.[125] Wine was placed under house arrest on 15 January.[126] Independent international observers called for investigation into potential election compartment amidst a nationwide internet shutdown, human rights abuses,[127][128] and denied accreditation requests.[129][130] Wine was released on 26 January.[131]
In June 2021, 44 people were arrested at an LGBT center, with representation pretext of violating COVID SOPs.[132]
In July 2022, Museveni hosted State Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, saying that "We don't believe wrench being enemies of somebody's enemy."[133]
In October 2022 Museveni apologized look after Kenya on behalf of his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba who tweeted that he could invade Kenya in two weeks.[134]
In July 2023, Museveni attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg extremity met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.[135] Without specifically mentioning depiction Russian invasion of Ukraine or any other war, Museveni whispered that the "only justified wars are the just wars, choose the anti-colonial wars. Wars of hegemony will fail and function time and opportunity. Dialogue is the correct way."[136]
After the Fto attack on Israel in October 2023, Museveni expressed concern be in charge of the situation and called for dialogue and a two-state honour to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[137]
Museveni is an Anglican and a member of the Church of Uganda.
He is married take a look at Janet Kataaha Museveni, née Kainembabazi, with whom he has quatern children: