Yoweri Museveni

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa is a Ugandan politician who has served as president since January 1986, when the National Resistance Movement and National Resistance Army took power. He began a seventh presidential term in May 2026.

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About Yoweri Museveni

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Uganda · Politician, President of Uganda · 3 affiliations

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Also known as: Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
Known for: Ugandan national politics and presidency; National Resistance Movement and National Resistance Army struggle; Uganda's 2026 presidential election
Country: Uganda

Politician
President of Uganda

At a glance

Museveni has served as President of Uganda since January 1986 and was sworn in for a seventh term on May 12, 2026.
He organized and led the National Resistance Movement and National Resistance Army during the 1981–1986 guerrilla struggle that brought the movement to power.
He graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.
Official results declared Museveni the winner of the January 2026 presidential election, while opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi rejected the result and alleged that the process was unfair.

Background and education

State House Uganda says Museveni was born in 1944 into a pastoralist family in Ankole, western Uganda. He attended the University of Dar es Salaam from 1967 to 1970, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.

Resistance politics and rise to power

Museveni participated in resistance to Idi Amin, was associated with the formation of the Front for National Salvation and took part in the 1979 campaign that overthrew Amin. State House Uganda says he subsequently organized the National Resistance Movement and National Resistance Army during the 1981–1986 guerrilla struggle, after which he became president in January 1986.

Presidency and constitutional context

Museveni was sworn in following Uganda's first direct presidential election under the 1995 Constitution on May 12, 1996. A later constitutional change affected eligibility for the presidency: in 2018, Uganda's Constitutional Court upheld provisions removing the upper age limit for presidential candidates.

The 2026 election and seventh term

Official results reported by the Associated Press gave Museveni 71.65% of the vote in the January 2026 presidential election. Opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, rejected the result and alleged an unfair process. Human Rights Watch separately reported abuses against opposition supporters and journalists, restrictions on civil-society organizations and a government-ordered internet shutdown during the election period; these are attributed rights-group findings and do not establish Museveni's individualized legal responsibility. Museveni was sworn in for a seventh term on May 12, 2026.

Affiliations

Government of Uganda President of the Republic of Uganda and Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Armed Forces present
National Resistance Movement Organizer and leader during the 1981–1986 guerrilla struggle 1981–1986
National Resistance Army Leader during the 1981–1986 guerrilla struggle 1981–1986

Timeline

1970 Graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.
1979 Participated in the anti-Amin campaign in which FRONASA-aligned and Tanzanian forces helped overthrow Idi Amin.
1986-01 Became President of Uganda after the National Resistance Army and National Resistance Movement took power.
1996-05-12 Was sworn in after Uganda's first direct presidential election under the 1995 Constitution.
2018-07-26 Uganda's Constitutional Court upheld provisions removing the upper presidential age limit.
2026-05-12 Was sworn in for a seventh presidential term.

Additional verified details

Current context

Museveni is listed as President of Uganda by the CIA World Leaders directory and current Ugandan State House cabinet materials. The CIA directory was updated on June 23, 2026; State House cabinet material identifies him as president and commander-in-chief.
Museveni began his seventh presidential term when he was sworn in on May 12, 2026.
Official results reported by the Associated Press declared Museveni the winner of Uganda's January 2026 presidential election with 71.65% of the vote; opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi rejected the result and alleged an unfair process. Both the official declaration and the opposition's rejection are material to an account of the result.

Biographical facts

State House Uganda gives Museveni's birth year as 1944 and describes his family background as pastoralist in Ankole, western Uganda.
He studied at the University of Dar es Salaam from 1967 to 1970 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.
Museveni participated in resistance to Idi Amin, was associated with the formation of the Front for National Salvation and played a role in the 1979 campaign that overthrew Amin.
State House Uganda says Museveni organized the National Resistance Movement and National Resistance Army during the 1981–1986 guerrilla struggle that brought the movement to power.
Uganda's Constitutional Court upheld provisions of the 2018 constitutional amendment that removed the upper age limit for presidential candidates.
Human Rights Watch reported abuses against opposition supporters and journalists, restrictions on civil-society organizations and a government-ordered internet shutdown before the January 2026 election. These are attributed rights-group findings, not judicial findings of Museveni's personal responsibility.