Uganda’s presidential campaign for the January 12, 2026 election officially opened on Monday, 29 September 2025, setting the stage for a repeat of the 2021 contest between incumbent President Yoweri Museveni and opposition leader Bobi Wine.
At 81, Museveni is seeking a seventh term after nearly four decades in power, pledging to safeguard the nation’s “peace and prosperity.” Bobi Wine, the singer-turned-politician, continues to symbolise the aspirations of a disillusioned yet youthful majority, focusing his campaign on job creation, education reform, and tackling corruption—issues that strongly resonate with Uganda’s young population.
However, the campaign unfolds under increasingly repressive conditions. The opposition accuses the government of manipulating the electoral process through a commission entirely appointed by the president. Since the last election, over 300 members of Bobi Wine’s party have been arrested, with some tried in military courts. Meanwhile, Museveni’s son and army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has been issuing inflammatory statements online, including thinly veiled threats against opponents and direct attacks on Bobi Wine and former presidential contender Kizza Besigye, who remains in detention. The political landscape remains fraught, with power, youth discontent, and state control at the heart of Uganda’s unfolding electoral drama.