MUSEVENI SWORN IN FOR SEVENTH TERM: 'KISANJA OF NO MORE SLEEP' — FOUR DECADES IN POWER, AND COUNTING

MUSEVENI SWORN IN FOR SEVENTH TERM: 'KISANJA OF NO MORE SLEEP' — FOUR DECADES IN POWER, AND COUNTING

By Informed Lens Global Media (ILGM)

May 12, 2026 | Kampala, Uganda

Forty years. That number hung over Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala on Tuesday morning like a banner no one needed to hang. By midday, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had done it again.

Uganda's 81-year-old leader took the oath of office on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds before Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija, securing his seventh term as President of the Republic of Uganda. The new mandate runs from 2026 to 2031.

At exactly midday, the National Flag was lowered at Kololo Independence Grounds, officially marking the end of Museveni's 2021–2026 term and signalling the beginning of the new one. The ceremony was presided over by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, with Vice President Jesca Alupo serving as Master of Ceremony. 

Electoral Commission Chairman Simon Byabakama formally declared Museveni the duly elected President following the 2026 general elections, in which Museveni secured victory with over 71 per cent of the vote. 

In a symbolic military ceremony, Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba handed over the Instruments of National Defence to the newly sworn-in President, before a ceremonial 21-gun salute echoed across Kololo Independence Grounds in honour of the Commander-in-Chief. 

In his inaugural address, Museveni declared a "Kisanja of No More Sleep," pledging to wake Ugandans from poverty and propel the country into high middle-income status. He warned government bureaucrats and political leaders that the time for complacency was over.

On the economy, Museveni announced that Uganda was entering the oil production phase. "The revenues from our oil will not be for eating. They will be directed toward the railway, power generation, and science education. We must build a durable, independent, and self-sustaining economy," he stressed. 

On security, Museveni credited the Uganda People's Defence Forces for maintaining what he called a "rock-solid" peace, and warned against political extremism. "The peace we have was paid for with blood. Anyone who thinks they can use violence to disrupt our progress will be dealt with decisively according to the law." 

On regional integration, Museveni called for deeper East African cooperation, arguing that a larger market is the only way to guarantee sustainable growth. 

His closing shot was characteristically blunt: "We are entering kisanja no more sleep and kisanja no corruption."

The ceremony was attended by at least 15 heads of state alongside regional and international dignitaries.  Confirmed attendees included Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, Somalia's Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Ethiopia's President Taye Atske Selassie. 

Rwanda was represented by Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva, attending on behalf of President Paul Kagame. 

The United States was represented by Nicholas Checker, the US Senior Bureau Official for African Affairs, accompanied by US Ambassador to Uganda William W. Popp, attending on behalf of President Donald Trump. An Indian delegation also made a notable appearance, arriving in scarves bearing diplomatic allegiance to both Uganda and India. 

The event attracted more than 30 foreign delegations in total, alongside senior government officials, Members of Parliament, and diplomats. 

One notable absence drew attention. First Lady Janet Museveni was notably absent from the ceremony  despite having attended at least the last three swearing-in ceremonies. She was last seen in public over a month ago.

The swearing-in was held under the theme: "Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap to Higher Middle Income Status."  It is a theme that doubles as both a promise and a defence of a presidency that has now outlasted governments, crises, and generations of Ugandans.

Museveni first came to power in 1986. The man who took the oath at Kololo on Tuesday is the same man who came down from the bush with a rifle and a vision. Whether that vision has been fully realised  or whether the "Kisanja of No More Sleep" will deliver where previous terms fell short remains the defining question of Uganda's next five years.

ILGM will continue to monitor developments from Kampala.

— Reporting by Informed Lens Global Media | Follow us for updates