Ugandan president, 81, sworn in for new term after 40 years at the helm

The five-year term might be his last, with his son and presumptive heir emerging as de facto ruler

Forty years. That is how long Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been in power.

The 81-year-old was sworn in on Tuesday to extend his presidency over a further five-year term that may well be his last – although not necessarily the last for the Museveni family.

The president’s son and presumptive heir, army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, oversaw days-long rehearsals of the military parade that will animate the eighth inauguration of Museveni, with Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets flying noisily 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 Kampala suburb of Kololo.

Many Ugandans now accept that Museveni’s presidency – the only one that millions of people have known – is nearing its end. What remains uncertain is the nature of the transition and how orderly things would be in the time he has left in office.