Why There Is No Point Of Having Elections in Uganda

Despite gaining her independence in 1962, Unfortunately Uganda is still not free. Uganda’s current president, Yoweri Museveni, has been in power since 1986, and it is hard to tell when the last free and fair election happened in Uganda.

For those in the opposition, an attempt to run for president against President Museveni is like a death wish. Opposition leaders like Dr. Kizza Besigye and Robert Kyagulanyi have nearly lost their lives for merely attempting to run against Museveni. President Yoweri Museveni, despite being 81 years old, shows no sign of stepping down or leaving power anytime soon.

The reason why there is no point of having elections in Uganda is because the next president of Uganda will not come from a free and fair election. President Museveni did not become the president through an election; he became president because, as a military leader, he staged a coup and took power. That is the same way the next transition to power in Uganda will not come from an election, but by taking power either by the military or the people.

The most likely successor of Yoweri Museveni is his son, Major General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is Uganda’s Chief of Defense Forces. It is expected that if something were to happen to Museveni, his son would be next in line to take over. President Museveni and his family run Uganda like it is their family business. Museveni’s wife, Jane Museveni, is the country’s Minister of Education and Sports, and his daughter is in charge of the country’s central bank. For the Museveni family, they do not know what life is like without power, and they don’t intend to hand over power either. To gain power, one must take it by force.

The only way someone else is going to become president of Uganda is by taking power. Though Uganda has elections, there is no such thing as free and fair elections in Uganda.