Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is seeking a seventh term in office, extending a rule that began in 1986 after he led a rebel movement to power promising an end to long-serving leadership in Africa.
Museveni, 81, has dominated Uganda’s politics for almost four decades, winning six elections amid repeated allegations of corruption, authoritarianism and electoral irregularities, which his government denies.
“Corruption has been central to his rule from the beginning,” Kristof Titeca, a professor at the University of Antwerp, told Reuters.
His administration earned early praise for restoring stability, curbing the AIDS epidemic and defeating the Lord’s Resistance Army, but critics said widespread corruption has weakened public services and limited economic opportunities.
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Museveni dismissed criticism from Western powers, saying in 2006: “If the international community has lost confidence in us, then that is a compliment because they are habitually wrong.”
Muzeveni’s main rival in Thursday’s presidential election is Boni Wine, a 43-year-old pop star.
Political analysts said Museveni is widely expected to win, but growing concerns over his age and succession — particularly the rising influence of his son and army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba — have cast uncertainty over Uganda’s political future.
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