Latest news with #NationalResistanceMovement
San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Behind bars, Ugandan opposition figure Besigye launches a new political party
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The party of opposition figure Kizza Besigye was launched in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Tuesday, with its jailed leader behind bars for alleged treason. Supporters at the event carried a framed portrait of Besigye, who was expected to address the launch of his People's Front for Freedom, either by video conference or through a written message. Prosecutors cite treason, a crime that carries the death penalty in the east African country. They say Besigye solicited military support overseas to destabilize national security. Besigye's attorneys and followers say the charges are politically motivated, calculated to remove him from political contestation over Uganda's future after Museveni, who is 80. Besigye has been repeatedly denied bail even as his attorneys cite his poor health. Uganda's next presidential election is set for January 2026. Museveni, who first took power by force in 1986, has declared his candidacy in a presidential bid that, if successful, would bring him closer to a half-century in power. The opposition figure known as Bobi Wine will also be a candidate, reprising their contest in the 2021 election. It remains unclear if the jailed Besigye will be on the ballot. Lawmaker Ibrahim Ssemujju, a spokesman for the People's Front for Freedom, told reporters on the eve of the party's launch that Besigye was jailed 'for no crime committed but because it gives Mr. Museveni and his son gratification that Besigye is in jail, that they have conquered him." 'I think they may even throw a party to celebrate,' he charged. 'But Dr. Besigye will speak to us as our leader, leader of our party but also leader of our struggles.' Museveni's son, army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has accused Besigye of plotting to kill his father, and once said the opposition figure should be hanged. Kainerugaba has repeatedly asserted his wish to succeed his father in the presidency, raising fears of hereditary rule in Uganda. Museveni has said Besigye must answer for 'the very serious offenses he is alleged to have been planning," and has called for 'a quick trial so that facts come out.' Many Ugandans expect an unpredictable political transition from Museveni, who has no obvious successor within the ranks of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Real power is concentrated in the military and intelligence apparatus. Besigye, a physician who retired from Uganda's military at the rank of colonel, is a former president of the Forum for Democratic Change party, for many years Uganda's most prominent opposition group. He has long been a fierce critic of Museveni, for whom he once served as a military assistant and personal doctor.
Winnipeg Free Press
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Behind bars, Ugandan opposition figure Besigye launches a new political party
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The party of opposition figure Kizza Besigye was launched in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Tuesday, with its jailed leader behind bars for alleged treason. Supporters at the event carried a framed portrait of Besigye, who was expected to address the launch of his People's Front for Freedom, either by video conference or through a written message. Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, has been jailed since November on charges he plotted to overthrow the government of President Yoweri Museveni. Prosecutors cite treason, a crime that carries the death penalty in the east African country. They say Besigye solicited military support overseas to destabilize national security. Besigye's attorneys and followers say the charges are politically motivated, calculated to remove him from political contestation over Uganda's future after Museveni, who is 80. Besigye has been repeatedly denied bail even as his attorneys cite his poor health. Uganda's next presidential election is set for January 2026. Museveni, who first took power by force in 1986, has declared his candidacy in a presidential bid that, if successful, would bring him closer to a half-century in power. The opposition figure known as Bobi Wine will also be a candidate, reprising their contest in the 2021 election. It remains unclear if the jailed Besigye will be on the ballot. Lawmaker Ibrahim Ssemujju, a spokesman for the People's Front for Freedom, told reporters on the eve of the party's launch that Besigye was jailed 'for no crime committed but because it gives Mr. Museveni and his son gratification that Besigye is in jail, that they have conquered him.' 'I think they may even throw a party to celebrate,' he charged. 'But Dr. Besigye will speak to us as our leader, leader of our party but also leader of our struggles.' Museveni's son, army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has accused Besigye of plotting to kill his father, and once said the opposition figure should be hanged. Kainerugaba has repeatedly asserted his wish to succeed his father in the presidency, raising fears of hereditary rule in Uganda. Museveni has said Besigye must answer for 'the very serious offenses he is alleged to have been planning,' and has called for 'a quick trial so that facts come out.' Many Ugandans expect an unpredictable political transition from Museveni, who has no obvious successor within the ranks of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Real power is concentrated in the military and intelligence apparatus. Besigye, a physician who retired from Uganda's military at the rank of colonel, is a former president of the Forum for Democratic Change party, for many years Uganda's most prominent opposition group. He has long been a fierce critic of Museveni, for whom he once served as a military assistant and personal doctor. Uganda has never witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence from colonial rule six decades ago.
Russia Today
30-06-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Vocal critic of West seeks reelection as Ugandan leader
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has announced his bid for a seventh term in elections set for 2026, a move that could extend his 39-year rule to nearly five decades. He has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of Western interference in the East African country's affairs. The longtime leader announced his decision on Saturday after picking up nomination forms at the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party headquarters in the capital, Kampala. Museveni said he had been 'energized… to take up the mantle to lead the country for the next five years' by the support he received while touring the country. 'In this coming term, I will make sure that we really move into value addition like sugar production, coffee processing and other products,' he told supporters. The leader also vowed to crack down on corruption if reelected. Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986 and currently ranks as the world's third-longest consecutively serving non-royal head of state, after Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema and Cameroon's Paul Biya. The 80-year-old leader has drawn international criticism for allegedly suppressing opposition, amending the constitution to remove presidential age and term limits, and enacting some of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws. In 2023, he signed a law that introduced the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality,' triggering widespread condemnation and sanctions from the US and other Western governments. Museveni dismissed the criticism as foreign interference, stating that Uganda would not be dictated to by donors, including the World Bank, which suspended new funding to Kampala citing human rights concerns. He has repeatedly denounced Western aid conditionality as neocolonialism. Earlier this year, Uganda became an official partner state of BRICS – a grouping that several African nations are seeking to join to diversify their trade and economic partnerships. In a post on X on Saturday, the Ugandan leader claimed the landlocked country has passed through five stages of development under his rule and outlined a target to grow the economy to $500 billion over the next five years. There has been speculation that Museveni is grooming his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who serves as the chief of Uganda People's Defense Forces, as a successor. The army chief fueled the claims with a now-deleted post on X in which he declared his intention to run for president in 2026. Opposition parties have criticized what they describe as a dynastic project – an accusation Museveni has denied.
Business Insider
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Here's what President Yoweri Museveni says he'll do if he wins 7th term
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has shared fresh plans to develop the country's economy as he prepares to run for a seventh term in next year's election. President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda announced plans to further the country's economic development as he prepares to run for a seventh term. Museveni outlined five phases of progress during his leadership, including economic recovery, diversification, and fostering a knowledge-based economy. He emphasized enhancing value addition to Ugandan exports and transitioning to science-driven growth. Museveni, 80, confirmed he will again stand as the presidential candidate for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). He has been in power since 1986 and is already one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. Speaking about his economic goals, Museveni said Uganda has gone through five stages under his leadership. These include rebuilding the economy after years of conflict, growing exports like coffee and tea, and expanding into new sectors. 'Our first task was to bring that small island back, which we described as minimum economic recovery. That was achieved in a fairly short time,' he said. He explained that Phase Two involved expansion, increasing the production of crops such as coffee and tea. Phase three involved diversification, reducing dependence on just a few products by expanding into other industries and sectors. 'Don't just depend on coffee and tea and tourism. Bring in other products. You can see the products we are producing now,' he added. Phase four, he said, is value addition, encouraging local processing and manufacturing to earn more from exports. 'Now, the fifth phase is the knowledge economy based on science. We have gone through these five phases or have entered these phases,' Museveni said. He told supporters there are other plans he will reveal later. 'There's something else I will not talk about today, but I will talk about another time, where I decided that I think I could still help the NRM and the country to go through these phases,' he said. President Museveni says Uganda must move from recovery to value addition and a knowledge economy He outlined his next priorities: adding more value to Ugandan products through processing and growing a knowledge-based economy driven by science and technology. 'We have gone through these five phases,' Museveni said. 'When it comes to the end of this term, the question is, what do we do? There's something else I will not talk about today, but will share another time.' Last week, NRM electoral commission chair Tanga Odoi said Museveni would pick up official forms to seek the party's nomination for both party chairperson and presidential candidate. Uganda is scheduled to hold elections in January 2026 to choose a president and lawmakers. Museveni has already overseen two changes to the 1995 constitution that removed presidential term limits in 2005 and age limits in 2017, clearing the way for his continued rule. He is expected to face opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, again. The singer-turned-politician came second in the 2021 election, which he claimed was rigged.
Eyewitness News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Uganda MP 'alive but weak' after abduction
KAMPALA - A Ugandan member of parliament critical of President Yoweri Museveni has been found "alive but very weak" after being abducted over the weekend, his wife told AFP on Monday. Uganda has seen increased pressure on opposition figures ahead of presidential elections in January, when Museveni will seek to extend his nearly 40 years in power. On Sunday, the Uganda Law Society raised the alarm over the "enforced disappearance" of Barnabas Tinkasiimire, a lawyer and MP. In a statement, the country's bar association said a family source confirmed Tinkasiimire was picked up by "heavily armed, drone-operating security operatives" at a petrol station in the capital Kampala. Speaking to AFP on Monday, Tinkasiimire's wife said he had since been found in a suburb of the city. "They dumped him in Namungoona in the early morning hours," she said, adding that he went missing on Friday. "He is alive but very weak. We have taken him for medical attention," she said. Tinkasiimire is a member of Museveni's ruling party, the National Resistance Movement. But in a post on X, opposition leader Bobi Wine said Tinkasiimire "has been very critical of Museveni's effort to impose his brutal son on our country, which his family believes is the reason he is being persecuted and held incommunicado". Museveni's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is the head of the Ugandan army and widely seen as the likely successor to his father. Kainerugaba last month boasted that he had kidnapped one of Wine's aides and was torturing him in his basement. The United Nations and several rights organisations have expressed concern about repression against opposition groups ahead of the election. "Enforced disappearances are currently a serious problem in many parts of Uganda," the law society said.
