Cover Story — The nondescript village of Kijaguzo in Semuto, Nakaseke District, in central Uganda was a beehive of activity on Sept. 15 as government dignitaries, religious leaders and residents from surrounding villages in the district and the Greater Luweero Triangle converged at the Catholic Parish headquarters to pray and make merry as President Yoweri Museveni celebrated his 80th birthday.
The birthday was attended by dozens of top government officials including; Jessica Alupo, the Vice President; Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja; Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, and the ruling National Resistance Movement party Vice Chairperson, Moses Kigongo. The milestone was also graced by former prime ministers, Amama Mbabazi and Ruhakana Rugunda.
For many NRM die-hards, the choice of venue for President Museveni's 80th birthday did not come as a surprise. Semuto in Nakaseke District is part of the Greater Luweero Triangle where Museveni's ragtag National Resistance Army rebel outfit fought a bruising battle with the Milton Obote-led government from 1981 up to January 1986.
Alice Kaboyo, the Minister for Luweero Triangle told the media days before the birthday fete that the venue holds a special place in Museveni's memory because the people in the parish supported the president so much during the war that brought him into power.
"This place is where some of the important visitors to NRA were always kept but also whenever the president wanted to have a moment of reflection, he would come here," she said. She said the celebration was organized in the district to ensure the local residents partake in the festivities.
Archbishop Anthony Zziwa, the Chairperson of the Episcopal Conference led the prayers and his dedication prayer drew inspiration from the biblical book of Psalms. Quoting 90:10, Zziwa said reaching 80 years is "a blessing to be celebrated."
Psalm 90:10 reads: "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away."
Contrite Museveni
Celebrating birthdays is not only about making merry but it is also sometimes a day of self-reflection and President Museveni was no different. He said his birthday celebrations were in honour of all Ugandans who have dedicated their respective lives to nation-building since the bush war days of the early 1980s.
Museveni who rarely appears contrite in public this time sounded apologetic to the local residents for the government's enduring failures: derelict road infrastructure, poor education and health services and the ever increasing cases of land evictions in the area.
"I am sorry about the poor state of some of these roads, but the Matugga-Semuto-Kapeeka road is under construction. This particular road was constructed with a thin layer that could not accommodate the heavy trucks that have made it degenerate to the current state," he said, "Because today we are celebrating and thanking the Lord, I cannot quarrel, but I will find time to come back and talk about the many other issues raised by the people."
Museveni's birthday wish
A day later, on Sept.16, Museveni took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to thank Ugandans, particularly his youthful supporters whom he affectionately addresses as Bazzukulu (Luganda for Grandchildren).
"So many thanks to all the Ugandans who wished me good luck and congratulated me on my 80th birthday, yesterday-but-one and those who came physically to Kijaguzo and Kawumu to celebrate with my family. Praised be the Lord for life, protection and blessings," Museveni tweeted.
Museveni said a younger Ugandan had challenged him the previous day to make a wish, as is usually the norm for those celebrating birthdays. "Since I have not been in the culture of celebrating birthdays, I did not know about that element," he said, "In order to rectify the matter, fellow Ugandans and Africans, forgive the ignorance of the recent birthday celebrant and here below is my birthday wish."
Museveni's big dream
Museveni said his dream is to create the East African Political Federation and the consolidation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
"These are in order to achieve the three historical missions of: ensuring prosperity for the wealth creators and all Africans by creating a big market for our products; ensuring our strategic- security against all threats to us on land, in the air, at the sea and in space by creating powerful integrated defence systems of the political federations where feasible; and using the brotherhood of the African Peoples to achieve these two- prosperity and strategic security."
"This is what our elders- Wazee (elders), Mwalimu Nyerere, Nkurumah, Modibo Keita, Sekou Toure, Jomo Kenyatta, Tom Mboya, Grace Ibingira, Mwai Kibaki, Arap Moi, Jaramogi Odinga, Ngombale-Mwiru, Joseph Nyerere, Joe Murumbi, Abeid Karume, etc., with us the young People behind them, have been struggling for, for all these years"
"Mwalimu Nyerere, offered to delay the independence of Tanganyika so as for Uganda and Kenya to become independent at the same time and become one country. It was a mistake not to take up this offer. Otherwise, Africa may become a Latin America in Africa instead of being a United States of Africa in Africa."
"I have others but Seku (the youthful supporter) told me that only one (birthday wish) is allowed," he said in his tweet.
If Ugandans were expecting any other wish, they could be disappointed as Museveni's birthday wish only, perhaps, served to prepare the country for the continuation of his unbroken rule.
Africa's Octogenarian Club
Museveni now joins a select club of Octogenarian leaders presiding over youthful and restless populations across the continent. He joins President Paul Biya of Cameroon (91) who has been in power since 1982; Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea who is 81 and has been president since 1979 as well as Denis Sassou Nguesso (80) of Congo-Brazzaville.
Others in this select club are Alassane Outtara of Cote d'Ivoire who is 82 and has been president since 2010 and Emmerson Mnangagwa (81) who has been president of Zimbabwe since 2017 following the ouster of long serving Zimbabwe leader, the late Robert Mugabe.
However, although Nangolo Mbumba of Namibia is 82, he is an outlier since he only became president this year after succeeding the late President, Hage Geingob, following his death in February this year.
What is left for Museveni to offer?
President Museveni who has been in power since January 1986 is now an Octogenarian yet he will almost certainly bid for a seventh consecutive term in office when campaigns kick-off late next year. However, many ask what else Museveni can offer the country that he has not offered over the last 38 years.
Museveni has been credited for pulling Uganda from the abyss and overseeing an economic recovery over the last 38 years but he is equally vilified by his critics for amending the country's 1995 Constitution to remove term and age limits so he stays in power, possibly for life.
Over half (50.5%) of the country's 46 million people are aged below 17 years while another 23% are aged 18-30 years, according to the recently released population census. Many have only known Museveni as the country's president. Still, many say he is out of touch with contemporary challenges, with some even doubting his mental capability.
Two days after Museveni's birthday celebrations, opposition legislator, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (FDC, Kira Municipality) cheekily asked his colleagues in Parliament to emulate the Democratic Party in the United States that piled pressure on President Joe Biden not to contest in the November 2024 election on account of old age.
Ssemujju-Nganda said it is time for President Museveni to be subjected to periodical medical check-ups to gauge his mental and physical fitness for holding the country's top office.
"A while ago, MP (Jane) Pacuto (NRM, Woman Representative, Pakwach) advised that we subject ourselves to periodical medical checks following the sudden death of our colleague. But there are also constitutional requirements. To be a president, the Constitution says you must be mentally and physically fit," he said.
"In the United States, President Joe Biden was asked not to participate in the election on account of his age, 79. When you have an 80-year-old who keeps making erratic decisions, I want to implore Parliament that we subject our President to periodical mental and physical tests," noted Ssemujju."
However, his NRM-leaning colleagues did not take kindly to his counsel. John Baptist Lokii (NRM, Matheniko County) protested Ssemujju's proposal to subject President Museveni to periodical medical checkups, arguing that Museveni hasn't shown signs of failing to lead Uganda, given the vast experience he has amassed in his 40 years at the job.
"He is trying to insinuate that an elderly person at 80 can't steer this country; he can't reason. If America is saying that people in their 80s should be subjected to other medical tests, but our President hasn't shown any sign of failing," he said.
He (Museveni) hasn't shown any sign of failing to discharge his duties; is therefore Ssemujju in order to insinuate that our President, who is experienced to lead this country...can't lead this country?" said Lokii.
Still, Ssemujju backed up his proposal, questioning Museveni's capability to lead Uganda because "he doesn't even remember that Uganda doesn't have a governor for the Central Bank." He added: "I am saying this in good faith because the makers of this Constitution had put an article that at 75 years you can't be president."
"I wasn't in the Constituency Assembly. And the President himself--you know, before I came here, I was a journalist. We interviewed him, and he said, at 75 years old, you are tired. Someone who doesn't remember that there is no governor for the Central Bank."
Debate will rage on
Debate around Museveni's age and his suitability to continue leading the country will only grow louder as the country prepares for yet another election cycle. And if there were still doubts about whether he will run in the 2026 elections, those doubts were extinguished in the early morning of Sept. 21 when his son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba fired off the latest round of controversial tweets.
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As he has always done, he took the country yet again by surprise when he said was, after all, shelving his presidential ambitions in favour of his father.
"I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026. Almighty God told me to focus on His Army first. So, I fully endorse President Yoweri Museveni in the next elections," Muhoozi's tweet flew off at 1:58am on Sept.21.
It was sudden reversal to last year, when, via his X account, Muhoozi announced his 2026 presidential bid.
"In the name of Jesus Christ my God, in the name of the young people of Uganda and the world and in the name of our great revolution, I will stand for the presidency in 2026," said Muhoozi in March, last year. "How many agree with me that our time has come? Enough of the old people ruling us. Dominating us. It's time for our generation to shine!!"
However, he appears to have backtracked on his decision. Muhoozi urged all his "millions of supporters" and that of his pressure group known as the Patriotic League of Uganda to, without exception, support President Museveni in 2026. "The future belongs to our mighty God alone, and we shall triumph in His name," he said.
Muhoozi told his supporters that in the meantime, he will focus on the national army, the UPDF, which he as, Commander of Defence Forces, heads..
"For me NOTHING on this earth is Holier (sic) than UPDF! So, I cannot think of a greater honour than being in UPDF. It is Holy Ground! God bless Holy UPDF and Sacred Uganda forever!!!" Muhoozi tweeted.
Muhoozi supporters jubilate
His supportersalmost immediately jumped onto his tweet thanking him for his "wise decision." "My leader, General @mkainerugaba, I fully declare my unwavering support for General Muhoozi Kainerugaba's endorsement of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's candidacy for 2026. As our esteemed leader, your guidance is invaluable, and I pledge to stand firmly behind your declaration," tweeted Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, a longtime supporter of Muhoozi.
"We look forward to President Museveni's final term and eagerly await General Kainerugaba's leadership in the 2031 elections when Mzee finally retires. May God bless you, our leader, for respecting divine guidance," said Barugahara who also serves in President Museveni's government as the Minister of State for Youth and Children's Affairs.
