Uganda’s recent elections have reignited debate around leadership and longevity, following the re-election of two of the country’s most senior political figures.

Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali, aged 86, was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Adjumani West Constituency, a result that surprised many given his recent public appearances showing visible health challenges. Despite viral footage of him struggling to stand or walk unassisted, voters returned the veteran politician to Parliament.

In the same elections, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 81, was declared the winner of the presidential race, extending his rule by another five years and pushing his time in power beyond four decades. The Electoral Commission announced Museveni had secured about 72% of the vote, ahead of opposition leader Bobi Wine, who garnered roughly 25% and rejected the results as fraudulent.

Museveni, who first took power in 1986 as a rebel leader, has now won seven elections, making him one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state. The polls were held amid controversy, including a nationwide internet shutdown that limited independent verification of events.

The African Union Commission Chairperson, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, commended the conduct of the elections and congratulated President Museveni on his re-election, describing the process as peaceful and orderly.

The outcomes have once again placed Africa’s leadership dynamics, particularly age, continuity and democratic renewal, firmly in the spotlight.