21 foreign Heads of State are expected to grace the 6th inauguration ceremony for president Yoweri Museveni due next week.
This was revealed by the Minister for presidency Hon Esther Mbayo today while addressing the press in Kampala on the Preparations for the swearing in of president Museveni scheduled for Tuesday May 12, 2021 at Kololo Independence grounds.
Hon Mbayo said President Museveni had invited a total of 42 Heads of State both from Africa and the rest of the world, and so far 21 have confirmed attendance.
The theme for the ceremony, according to Hon Mbayo, is “Securing the Future” and the events will start at 7:00AM. She said, the ceremony will be “scientific” and only 4,042 invitations have been extended due to the COVID-19 threat.
The incumbent, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni was declared winner of the January,14 polls with 58.38% beating the National Unity Platform’s Robert Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine who was his closest rival.
Museveni will consequently be sworn in for his sixth term extending his stay in power to 40 years having led the East African country since 1986.
Whereas minister Mbayo did not name the invited leaders or their countries of origin, reports indicate that majority on are president Museveni invitation list are his close allies in the region.
Inside sources indicate that Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania) Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Paul Kagame(Rwanda), Felix Tshisekedi(DRC), Teodoro Obiang Nguema (Equatorial Guinea), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe) and Edgar Lungu (Zambia) are some of the heads of state expected to attend the inauguration.
Sources also affirmed that the deceased Chadian President Idriss Déby, who was killed in clashes with rebels after winning a sixth term in office, was also expected to attend President Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony.
The fifth inauguration was attended by leaders from Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Sudan’s deposed leader Gen Omar Bashir also attended the event.
Invited to the ceremony are; 17 NRM Party delegates from each district, all MPs elect, former presidential candidates who participated in the January 14th elections, all ministers and state ministers, all NRM CEC members, EALA MPs, a few people from the business community, a few cultural leaders, and half list of the normal VIPs.
Preparations for next week’s swearing-in ceremony are already in high gear with a number of committees formed to ensure all events are concluded without a glitch.
Last week, however, the army said they had received intelligence reports that some elements are planning to disrupt the ceremony. The army also displayed printed materials with inscriptions in vernacular stating that Museveni will not be sworn in (Tajja Kulayira).
President Museveni, a retired military general, early this month warned no one will stop his swearing in ceremony and advised anyone behind the move to drop it.
“The opposition has been planning to stop the swearing-in of the president, they won’t because the security forces will stop them. They won’t stop swearing-in. Security forces will go for him or her,” Museveni said.
“They plan all crazy things like killing opposition themselves and claim it is government. To conspire to do that is a crime. I advise them to drop it. I am happy many youths are refusing to follow the criminal plans of their leaders. You can’t disrupt Uganda. Whoever is telling you is deceiving you.”
