Yoweri Museveni

Yoweri Museveni took power in Uganda in 1986 after leading a five-year guerrilla insurgency, initially presenting himself as a reformer distinct from the country's earlier dictatorships under Idi Amin and Milton Obote. He has since overseen two key constitutional amendments — removing presidential term limits in 2005 and the 85-year age cap in 2017 — each timed to permit his continued candidacy. His most recent re-elections, including 2021's contest against pop-star-turned-opposition-leader Bobi Wine, were accompanied by internet shutdowns and violent crackdowns on opposition rallies, documented by Human Rights Watch.

Museveni has positioned his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in senior military roles and increasingly prominent public statements about his own political ambitions, fueling widespread expectation of an eventual dynastic succession.