Ugee

Uganda is a republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Government excercises its powers under the three organs of the state: The Excecutive (Headed by the President); The Legislature (Headed by the Speaker); and The Judiciary (Headed by the Chief Justice). For the benefit of a fully functional democracy, all the three arms of the state work in harmony with each other.

Due it’s constant civil strife and political turmoil in the past, Uganda was not able to have a stable and consistent electoral process. Ascension to the office of President was either through unfair, rigged and manipulative elections; or through coup d’ etats which ended in loss of lives. From 1986, all political activity evolving around political parties was banned. The political organisations/parties bill was however amended in 2005 to bring Uganda back to a multiparty system.

Under the constitution of the republic of Uganda, the President is empowered as the Commander in Chief of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces and the Fountain of Honour.

 The office of President is contested for after every five years when the constitutional term of office expires. In March 2006, Uganda had the first presidential and parliamentary elections in 25 years. The NRM party won the election under the Chairmanship of Mr Y K Museveni.

Mr Y K Museveni was first elected president in 1996 and re-elected in 2001. He was elected for a third consecutive term in office in March 2006 and sworn in on 12 May 2006.

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, born 1944, in the western district of Ntungamo in Uganda has been the President of Uganda since January 29, 1986. Since his youth, Museveni has always exhibited a revolutionally spirit and forthright determination to change and improve the reputation of his motherland.

He was involved in the war that toppled Idi Amin's (1971–79) rule and the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of Milton Obote's (1980–85) regime. Museveni has brought relative stability and economic growth to a country that has endured decades of government mismanagement, rebel activity and civil war. His tenure has also witnessed one of the most effective national responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa and the entire world.

Museveni attended Kyamate elementary school, Mbarara High School, and Ntare School. It was while at Ntare school that he became a born again Christian. In 1967, he went to the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. There, he studied economics and political science and became an unreconstructed Marxist, involving himself in radical pan-African politics.

While at university, he formed the University Students' African Revolutionary Front (USARF) activist group and led a student delegation to FRELIMO territory in Portuguese Mozambique, where he received guerrilla training. Studying under the leftist Walter Rodney, among others, Museveni wrote his senior thesis on the applicability of Frantz Fanon's revolutionary violence to postcolonial Africa.

After the rigged 1980 elections in which he had stood and campaigned as a party leader of UPM ( Uganda Patriotic Movement), Museveni formed the NRA (National Resistance Army) and embarked on a five year protracted struggle to uproot the Milton Obote regime. On 25 1986 the, the Museveni-led faction finally overran the capital. The NRA toppled Okello's government and declared victory the next day.

Museveni was sworn in as president three days later on 29 January. "This is not a mere change of guard, it is a fundamental change," said Museveni after a ceremony conducted by British-born chief Justice Peter Allen. Speaking to crowds of thousands outside the Ugandan parliament, the new president promised a return to democracy and said: "The people of Africa, the people of Uganda, are entitled to a democratic government. It is not a favour from any regime. The sovereign people must be the public, not the government."

The first presidential elections were were held on 9 May 1996. Museveni defeated Paul Ssemogerere of the Democratic Party, who contested the election as a candidate for the "Inter-party forces coalition", and the upstart candidate, Mohamed Mayanja. Museveni won with a landslide 75.5 per cent of the vote from a turnout of 72.6 per cent of eligible voters.

In 2001 Museveni won the presidential elections by a substantial majority, with his former friend and personal physician Kizza Besigye as the only real challenger. The latter after losing could not concede defeat and decided to contest the elections in Uganda’s Supreme Court. The court would later rule in favor of Museveni.

The February 23, 2006 elections were Uganda's first multi-party elections in 25 years, and was seen as a test of its democratic credentials. Although Museveni did less well than in the previous election, he was elected for another five-year tenure, having won 59% of the vote against Besigye's 37%. Besigye again refused to concede and decided to petition against the reults of the elections. However, the Supreme Court would later decide in favor of the NRM (National Resistance Movement) on the grounds that the petitioners could not produce convincing evidence.

Museveni is married to Janet Kataha, with whom they are blessed with four children.

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