KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni marked his 82nd birthday on September 15, 2026, receiving messages from family members, government and political figures, and well-wishers as the Ugandan leader spent part of the day in the northern district of Adjumani. Museveni, born on September 15, 1944, has served as Uganda’s president since 1986.
First Lady Janet Museveni led the family messages, expressing gratitude for her husband’s life and reflecting on their journey together. In a public birthday statement, she thanked God for His “loving kindness, mercy and grace” and described reaching another year together as a blessing. She concluded by wishing President Museveni a happy birthday and praying that God would continue to bless and guide him.
Museveni’s children also publicly recognized the occasion. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, congratulated his father and referred to him as “Mzee wa Kazi,” a phrase associated with work and long service. His daughter Natasha Museveni Karugire likewise shared a personal tribute recognizing him both as a father and public leader.
The President combined the personal milestone with official and political engagements in Adjumani. He visited the grave of the late Gen. Moses Ali at Taqwa Mosque and laid a wreath in remembrance of the longtime Ugandan military officer and political leader. Museveni later proceeded to Paridi Stadium, where he campaigned for National Resistance Movement candidate James Pilli Leku ahead of the Adjumani West parliamentary by-election.
Addressing supporters, Museveni urged voters to support the NRM candidate and welcomed efforts by party figures to consolidate behind Leku. “I’m here to beg you to support Leku because he is the one who will support NRM,” Museveni told the gathering, according to reporting from the event. The campaign appearance came two days before the scheduled September 17 by-election.
The birthday comes during another significant year in Museveni’s political career. Uganda’s new administration for the 2026–2031 term began work earlier this year, with the Uganda Media Centre reporting in June that Museveni chaired the first Cabinet meeting of the newly constituted government following its inauguration.
Beyond the family celebrations, organizations and supporters have arranged activities around the President’s birthday. The Indian Association of Uganda organized a nationwide blood-donation initiative intended to strengthen blood supplies for patients requiring transfusions, while organizers have planned a larger birthday gathering at Kampala’s Kololo Independence Grounds on September 19 under a theme focused on legacy, youth and Pan-Africanism.
The events surrounding Museveni’s 82nd birthday therefore combined family reflections, public messages, remembrance of a former national leader and active political campaigning. For supporters, the occasion provided an opportunity to recognize Museveni’s decades in public life, while the President himself spent much of the day continuing the political and official activities that have defined his long career in Uganda.
