Photo credit: Diamond 88.5 FM
Yoweri Museveni, 81, has been sworn in for a seventh consecutive time as the President of Uganda.
He was sworn in Tuesday for another five years.
Army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son and presumptive heir, oversaw rehearsals of the military parade that animated the inauguration of Museveni, with Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets flying over official ceremonial grounds in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.
Museveni took the oath of office and received the ceremonial instruments of power while being cheered by thousands attending the event in the K\ampala suburb of Kololo. The president urged Ugandans to work hard and build wealth for their families, citing t5he stories of individuals whose entrepreneurial spirits have paid off.
Many Ugandans have accepted that Musevwe ni’s presidency – the only one millions of them have known – is now nearing its end.
What remains uncertain is the nature of the transition and how orderly things would be when he leaves office.
Kainerugaba looks poised to take over. He has declared his wish to succeed his father and said recently that the mission is unstoppable.
But his path is narrowed and could follow one of two ways: either a bloodless but unconstitutional takeover by Kainerugaba or a constitutional amendment that allows lawmakers with the ruling party to pick him as Museveni’s successor. An electoral win is seen as an hurdle too high for Kainerugaba, whose challengers would include opposition leader Bobi Wine, the popular entertainer who has twice run for president and rejected the outcome of the January election that gave Museveni his next term.
Anita Among, the parliamentary speaker, said last month that legislators would do everything possible to assist Kainerugaba in his pursuit of the presidency.
Many other leaders have been scampering to show allegiance to Kainerugaba. While their moves display a quest for political survival, they also underscore Kainerugaba’s rise as Uganda’s de facto leader as his father ages and relies more on the army chief to exercise authority.
