Ugandan ‘dictator’ Yoweri Museveni sworn in for 6th term

Yoweri Museveni has taken oath of office for the 6th elective term as President of Uganda, during a swearing in ceremony attended by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, among other heads of states.

Museveni was declared the winner by Uganda’s electoral commission of the country’s disputed presidential election held early this year.

This extended his 35-year rule as his main rival Bobi Wine alleged vote rigging and urged citizens to reject the result.

Museveni secured 5.85 million votes, or 58.64 percent, of the total votes cast, while main opposition candidate Wine got 3.48 million votes or 34.83 percent, the commission said in a televised news conference.

Meanwhile, security forces sealed off a wide perimeter around Wine’s compound, cutting him from communicating with the outside world and not allowing anyone to visit him.

Apparently, Museveni has been described by some critics as an elected dictator.

“I am not power-hungry, but mission-hungry” Museveni said in 2015, describing the economic transformation of Uganda as his only purpose to want to continue as president.

As a young rebel leader, Museveni helped topple dictator Idi Amin in 1979 before retreating to the bush to wage a guerrilla war against his repressive successor, Milton Obote.

Shortly after ousting the government and taking power in 1986, Museveni declared: “The problem of Africa in general, and Uganda in particular, is not the people, but leaders who want to overstay in power.”

Some of the heads of states who attended the ceremony include, Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the Republic of Kenya, President of the United Republic of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, H.E Sahle-Work Zewde, and Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo among others.

-Zwnews