Veteran lawyer Elly Karuhanga has praised President Yoweri Museveni ahead of his swearing-in scheduled for 12 May 2026 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, describing his leadership journey as one marked by continuity, personal connection, and national transformation.
In his message, Karuhanga extended warm congratulations to Museveni, noting the long history they share in Uganda’s political evolution.
“Your Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as you prepare to take the oath once again on the 12th of May 2026, I extend to you my warm congratulations and sincere best wishes,” Karuhanga stated.
He reflected on their early political days, from the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) to the formation of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), and later participation in Parliament and the Constituent Assembly that produced the 1995 Constitution.
“I have had the privilege of knowing you from our younger days and of walking with you through different chapters of Uganda’s journey,” he said.
Karuhanga said history had shaped his reflections on leadership and responsibility, noting that experience over time builds perspective.
“With time, history becomes memory, and memory teaches humility.”
He described Museveni as a leader who has maintained direct engagement with citizens across all levels of society, from ordinary villagers to foreign diplomats.
“Over the years, I have watched you engage presidents and peasants, diplomats and ordinary wananchi with the same simplicity and ease,” Karuhanga said.
He added that many leaders become distant in office, but said Museveni had remained accessible.
“Many leaders become distant because of power. You somehow remained connected to people.”
Karuhanga also recalled personal encounters that, in his view, reflected the President’s human side, including visits to elderly citizens during difficult moments.
“I remember one particular evening when you returned from Cairo late at night… you drove straight to Ntinda to visit an elderly lady in her nineties,” he recounted.
He further described a visit to Luwero where Museveni reportedly engaged deeply with an elderly woman and later fulfilled a promise to improve her living conditions.
“It was not a political visit. It was human,” he said.
Karuhanga said such moments often go undocumented but reveal the personal traits of a leader.
“Moments that quietly reveal your compassion, humility, loyalty, memory, and genuine concern for ordinary people (obuntu).”
He also pointed to Uganda’s broader progress under Museveni’s leadership, citing stability, infrastructure expansion, education growth, and regional influence.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to take the oath for another term in Kampala, with the event drawing regional leaders and international guests as Uganda marks another chapter in its political history.