KAMPALA – A Ugandan opposition lawmaker has publicly cast doubt on the identity of long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, questioning the legal basis for his frequent name changes and suggesting it fuels confusion about his age and nationality.
The controversy was ignited by Betty Nambooze Bakireke, the Member of Parliament for Mukono Municipality, during an appearance on NBS TV’s “Barometer” show. She pointed to the inconsistent presentation of the President’s name on official election materials over the years as a source of public confusion.
Nambooze laid out a timeline of the President’s evolving identity on the ballot: in the 2016 general elections, he ran as Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. By the 2021 polls, he had added a new name, appearing as Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni. However, new campaign posters for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party now list him simply as Yoweri Museveni, conspicuously dropping both “Kaguta” and “Tibuhaburwa.”
The MP questioned whether the Head of State had followed the proper legal channels to effect these changes. “He keeps on confusing Ugandans in every election,” Nambooze stated, suggesting that such inconsistencies are unusual for a sitting president and fuel speculation about his official identity.
Further deepening her critique, Nambooze referenced President Museveni’s own past admission that he does not know his exact birthdate. She argued that this, combined with the fluctuating names, leaves citizens puzzled about fundamental details of their leader’s background.
“How can a person who does not know his birthdate, and whose name changes with every election cycle, be taken for granted as a Ugandan as he claims?” she posed, implying that the irregularities raise broader questions about the President’s documented history.
There has been no immediate response from State House or the NRM Secretariat regarding the lawmaker’s comments. However, the remarks have sparked lively debate on social media and among political commentators, with some dismissing them as a frivolous attack and others calling for official clarity on the matter.
This is not the first time the President’s name and age have been a topic of discussion, but the direct challenge from a sitting MP regarding legal procedures elevates the controversy, placing the government’s information management under fresh scrutiny.
