Uganda will observe a public holiday on May 12, 2026, as the country prepares for the inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni for a seventh elective term.
The announcement was made by Richard Todwong, the Secretary General of Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), who said the day has been set aside to enable citizens to take part in the historic occasion.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Kololo Independence Grounds and is expected to draw an estimated 40,000 attendees.
Organizers say the guest list includes about 35 heads of state and 30 diplomats, underlining the international significance attached to the event.
Museveni secured another term in office after defeating his main challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi—popularly known as Bobi Wine—of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in the January 2026 general election. According to official results released by the Electoral Commission, Museveni garnered nearly 72 per cent of the vote.
Museveni has been in power since 1986, when he took control following a five-year bush war that was sparked by the disputed 1980 presidential election. Since then, he has led Uganda continuously for four decades.
By the end of his new term beginning May 12, the 81-year-old leader will have ruled the East African nation for a total of 45 uninterrupted years.
Delegations from several African liberation movements are also expected to attend, including representatives from African National Congress, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, ZANU–PF, FRELIMO, and the Rwandan Patriotic Front. Their presence highlights Uganda’s long-standing political and historical connections with liberation movements across the continent.
Meanwhile, Milly Babalanda, who serves as Minister in charge of the Presidency in the outgoing government, has announced a nationwide interfaith prayer program ahead of the inauguration. The prayers will begin on Friday in mosques, continue on Saturday in Seventh-day Adventist churches, and conclude on Sunday in Anglican and Catholic churches. Officials say the coordinated prayer activities are intended to unite Ugandans across religious lines as the country approaches the swearing-in, framing the event as both a national milestone and a moment of collective reflection.
Weeks ago, first daughter Patience Rwabwogo’s church had planned special prayers to thank God for ‘peaceful’ elections but the event was postponed. Patience is in a way the first family’s priestess, whom an American pastor predicted could get a big position in her father’s government. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
Also, in what appeared like the last supper for ministers, Museveni held his final meeting and luncheon with his cabinet before dissolving it. as he prepares to swear in and unveil a new cabinet amidst some calls and speculation that he could appoint his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as his vice president. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
