‘Mpenkoni’ Hitmaker Set for May 12 Swearing-in
President-elect Yoweri Museveni will be sworn in on May 12 at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, with the ceremony expected to carry a touch of showbiz around a strictly constitutional event.
Museveni, widely associated with his You Want Another Rap also known as “Mpenkoni” hit song, heads into the ceremony with a public image that stretches beyond politics.
Mpenkoni was released in the run-up to the 2011 General Elections and has become a familiar cultural reference point, even as Museveni’s day job remains firmly in State House.
That crossover is likely to be visible at Kololo. A number of musicians who moved across the country with him during the campaign period are expected to attend, adding a layer of local celebrity presence to what is traditionally a formal state occasion.
Away from the entertainment angle, the day remains a key moment in Uganda’s political calendar.
Museveni secured re-election in the January polls with 71.65 per cent of the vote, before the Supreme Court of Uganda upheld the results, clearing the way for his seventh elective term.
The government has said invitations have been sent to about 50 heads of state and government, underlining the scale of the event.
Delegations are expected to arrive through Entebbe International Airport, with heightened security already in place across Kampala.
For all the buzz around music and celebrity presence, May 12 will ultimately follow the script of state protocol, with Museveni taking the Oath of Allegiance and the Presidential Oath.
