Ugandans Take a Dig at President Museveni With 30-Year-Old Photos

Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni. Photo released under Creative Commons by Russell Watkins/Department for International Development UK).

Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni. Photo released under Creative Commons by Russell Watkins/Department for International Development UK).

January 26, 2016 marks 30 years since President Yoweri Museveni and his National Resistance Movement took over the rule of Uganda, after a 5-year guerrilla war that toppled then-president Milton Obote. Obote had been ousted from power by Idi Amin (1971–79), but regained power after Amin himself was overthrown.

In the year that Museveni came to govern the country, more than 75% of the present-day population of Uganda was not yet born — but those who were are using the hashtag #1986pictures to share their memories of that time.

But why now? President Museveni is currently seeking a sixth term in the office. Presidential elections will take place on February 18, 2016 and while the incumbent will most likely claim victory at the polls, there seems to be a great level of disillusionment with the electoral process.

There has already been a great deal of controversy — the country's economic health is a bit precarious, there are reports that Museveni has spent in excess of $7M on his re-election campaign over the period of just two months, and one of the president's political challengers, Amama Mbabazi, has accused him of launching an “offensive” to “intimidate and subdue” opponents’ supporters.

Netizens — who may or may not be going to the polls on election day — decided to make their voices heard online:

This Is Uganda remembered how Museveni was welcomed into office by the West:

Others recalled how their families were forced to flee to the West:

There were several comparisons of “then” and “now”:

Kalundi Serumaga remembered his time in the Uganda National Liberation Front:

Twitter user Charles Onyango-Obbo posted photos of the deterioration of Lake Victoria and made a political parallel:

Many Twitter users thought that 30 years was quite a sufficient run:

One tweet, however, poignantly demonstrated the level of frustration that many younger Ugandans may be feeling:

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