🇺🇬 Uganda
Presidential systemElectoral autocracy
Yoweri Museveni
President · 14,871 days in office
How the political system works in Uganda
Uganda is governed as a presidential system. Its president, Yoweri Museveni, has led the country since Jan 29, 1986. Uganda has had 9 presidents since 1963. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Yoweri Museveni
14,874 days · 2 terms
Shortest-serving
Bazilio Olara-Okello
2 days
Average tenure
794 days
Yoweri Museveni: 1773% above average
Female leaders
0 of 9
All male to date
Recent presidents by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Uganda?
Across 10 completed terms, the average president of Uganda has served 794 days (about 2.2 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 376 days. The last leader to beat the average was Milton Obote, who left office in 1985.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All presidents of Uganda
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 |  Yoweri Museveni | Jan 29, 1986 | Incumbent | 14,871 |
| 10 | Yoweri Museveni | Jan 26, 1986 | Jan 29, 1986 | 3 |
| 9 | Tito Okello | Jul 29, 1985 | Jan 26, 1986 | 181 |
| 8 | Bazilio Olara-Okello | Jul 27, 1985 | Jul 29, 1985 | 2 |
| 7 |  Milton Obote | Dec 17, 1980 | Jul 27, 1985 | 1,683 |
| 6 | Paulo Muwanga | May 12, 1980 | May 22, 1980 | 10 |
| 5 | Godfrey Binaisa | Jun 20, 1979 | May 12, 1980 | 327 |
| 4 | Yusuf Lule | Apr 13, 1979 | Jun 20, 1979 | 68 |
| 3 |  Idi Amin | Jan 25, 1971 | Apr 11, 1979 | 2,998 |
| 2 | Milton Obote | Mar 2, 1966 | Jan 25, 1971 | 1,790 |
| 1 |  Muteesa II of Buganda | Oct 9, 1963 | Mar 2, 1966 | 875 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the President of Uganda?
- Yoweri Museveni has been President of Uganda since Jan 29, 1986.
- How is the leader of Uganda chosen?
- Uganda is governed as a presidential system. Its president, Yoweri Museveni, has led the country since Jan 29, 1986. Uganda has had 9 presidents since 1963. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.
- Who is the longest-serving President of Uganda?
- Yoweri Museveni, with 14,874 days in office across 2 terms.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Uganda?
- Across 10 completed terms, the average president of Uganda has served 794 days (about 2.2 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 376 days. The last leader to beat the average was Milton Obote, who left office in 1985.
- Has Uganda ever had a female president?
- No. All 9 presidents of Uganda to date have been men.