MUSEVENI, 74, GOES FOR SIXTH TERM

KAMPALA- Uganda's ruling party has endorsed President Yoweri Museveni as its candidate for the 2021 elections.

This means the 74-year-old leader, who came to power in 1986, will be running for a sixth term.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) agreed, in a meeting chaired by Museveni yesterday, that he should "continue leading the movement and the state in 2021 and beyond to eliminate bottlenecks to transformation."

Museveni once said leaders who "overstayed" in office were the root of Africa's problems.

However, he said, while running for a fifth term in 2016, that it was not the right time for him to leave as he still had work to do.

His candidacy for Uganda's next election comes after he signed a 2017 bill that scrapped the presidential age limit of 75.

Uganda's Supreme Court began hearing a petition last month to challenge this decision.

Meanwhile, President Museveni has promoted his son to the rank of Lieutenant- General - the second highest position in the army.

Lt-Gen Kainerugaba Muhoozi is considered a likely successor to President Museveni, but denies any immediate plans to enter politics.

In the last six years, Lt Gen Muhoozi has been promoted three times and now sits one rank below President Museveni, who is a general.

Although he has served as Commander of Uganda’s Special Forces, his critics have questioned whether his promotions match his military experience.

Since 2017, he has served as presidential adviser for special operations, which is seen as a civilian position.