Yoweri Museveni: A President for Life
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (born 1944) studied in Tanzania, where he returned during Idi Amin’s rule. While in Tanzania he helped to found the Front for National Salvation, a group that assisted in the overthrowing of Amin in 1979. Museveni held posts in the transitional government and eventually ran for president in 1980, but lost to Milton Obote in an election that was widely believed to have been rigged. Museveni and former acting president Yusufu Lule (1979) formed the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in response. Led by Museveni, the NRM’s armed group, the National Resistance Army (NRA) waged a guerilla war against Obote. Prevailing on January 26, 1986, Museveni declared himself president of Uganda, but was officially elected to the post on May 9, 1996.
Over the years of his presidency, Museveni has helped to rebuild the country, providing political stability, a growing economy, and improving infrastructure. He promoted western democratic ideals, instituting capitalist reforms and supporting a free press. He initially disallowed multiparty politics, claiming it would disintegrate into tribal politics, but reinstated it in 2005. He has also made strides towards combating AIDS, becoming one of the first African countries to have success battling the disease.
Despite Museveni’s positive actions towards stability, his rule, like that of his predecessors has been ridden with corruption and conflict throughout Uganda. His inability to properly and efficiently contain and end the terror of the Lord’s Resistance Army marks one of his greatest failures. He has also come under international criticism for his adverse backing of rebels in other African countries. His presidency has been depicted as one of democracy and stability, but the underlying current is one of corruption and greed. Even though he began his time in office complaining about leaders who spend too many years in office, Museveni has taken similar actions to allow him to rule for another election in 2021 (g29).
