The political framework of Uganda

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President - Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (since 29 January 1986)
Prime Minister - Robinah Nabbanja (since 21 June 2021)

Next Election Dates

Presidential: 2026
Legislative: 2031

Main Political Parties

In 2005, Ugandans held a referendum and voted for a return to multi-party politics. Before that, only one political organisation, the National Resistance Movement, was allowed to operate in the country.
However, the National Resistance Movement (also known simply as the Movement) is still the ruling political party in Uganda. The party was originally founded as a liberation movement to oppose dictatorial regimes. In the 2021 general election, the Movement obtained 336 out of 529 seats.
Other major parties include the National Unity Platform (the main opposition party, centre-left, with 57 seats in the Parliament), the Forum for Democratic Change (opposition party, centre-right, 32 seats); the Democratic Party (moderate conservative, with 9 seats in the Parliament) and the Uganda People's Congress (which also holds 9 seats in the Parliament).

Other minor parties in the country are: Justice Forum (JEEMA), People's Progressive Party (PPP), and Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).

Executive Power

The Ugandan President holds executive power; he assumes the functions of head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for the appointment of Cabinet, as well as the implementation and enforcement of laws drafted by Parliament. The president is elected for a five-year term, with the possibility of reelection without any term limits.

Legislative Power

According to the 1995 Constitution, legislative power in Uganda is vested in both the government and the unicameral Parliament. The term of Parliament is five years, though an earlier attempt to extend it to seven years was later invalidated by the Constitutional Court. Currently, the Ugandan Parliament is composed of 556 members: 353 are elected through first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies, 146 are reserved for women district representatives, and the remaining 30 seats are allocated to special interest groups. These include 10 representatives from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, 5 from youth, 5 from people with disabilities, 5 from workers' unions, and 5 from older persons. Each of these groups must elect at least one woman, except for the Defence Forces group, which must have at least two women.