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Long-serving Ugandan President Museveni takes oath of office

Wednesday May 12 2021
By The EastAfrican

Uganda's longest-serving President Yoweri Museveni was sworn in on Wednesday for his sixth-elective term of office at Kololo Independence Grounds.

Mr Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, won a contested January 14 election with 58 percent of the votes, while his closest challenger Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, garnered 34 percent.

Bobi Wine contested the results but later withdrew his petition.

At least 10 African heads of state and leaders of government arrived in Uganda Tuesday and Wednesday to witness the swearing-in ceremony. Among them were Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta, Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Évariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi), Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, alias Farmaajo, (Somalia), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Sahle-Work Zewde (Federal Republic of Ethiopia) and Félix Tshisekedi (Democratic Republic of Congo).

Others are Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (Ghana), Hage Gottfried Geingob (Namibia) and Alpha Conde (Guinea).

Uganda's opposition earlier announced it would boycott the event.

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The homes of opposition leaders, Dr Kizza Besigye and Bobi Wine, were surrounded by security operatives as a “preventive measure” following intelligence information that some members of opposition were allegedly planning to disrupt the swearing-in ceremony, according to the UPDF deputy spokesperson, Col Deo Akiiki.

The police and army also heightened security in Kampala and surrounding areas.

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