2026 in Uganda
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Events in the year 2026 in Uganda.
Incumbents
Events
January
- 5 January – The government bans live broadcasts and streaming of riots, unlawful processions, and violent incidents ahead of the presidential election.[1]
- 13 January – The Uganda Communications Commission imposes a suspension of mobile internet services, citing misinformation, electoral fraud and incitement of violence.[2]
- 15 January – 2026 Ugandan general election: Yoweri Museveni is reelected president with 71.65% of the vote.[3]
- 16 January – At least seven people are killed in clashes between police and opposition supporters in Butambala District following the general election.[4]
- 18 January – Authorities partially restore internet services following President Museveni’s election victory, allowing business use while keeping social media blocked.[5]
- 22 January – Opposition MP Muwanga Kivumbi is arrested on charges related to the clashes in Butambala on 16 January.[6]
February
- 18 February – Police in Arua arrest two women on allegations of engaging in same-sex acts, after they were reportedly seen kissing in public, in violation of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.[7]
March
- 8 March – Jacob Kiplimo sets a new men’s half-marathon world record of 57:20 in Lisbon, improving his previous record by 10 seconds.[8]
- 10 March – Five people are killed and 11 others are injured when a bus collides with a truck on the Kampala–Gulu Highway near Bweyale Town, Kiryandongo District.[9]
- 11 March – Uganda announces visa-free entry to nationals of 40 countries.[10]
- 14 March – Opposition leader Bobi Wine announces his departure from Uganda after having gone into hiding since the presidential election in January.[11]
- 17 March – The southern white rhinoceros is reintroduced at Kidepo Valley National Park for the first time since being poached into extinction at the park in 1983.[12]
April
- 2 April – Four children are killed in a mass stabbing at a school in Kampala. The perpetrator, an adult man, is arrested[13] and sentenced to death on 30 April.[14]
- 28 April – Authorities announce the detention of 231 foreign nationals following two operations against human trafficking and online scams.[15]
May
- 12 May – Yoweri Museveni is inaugurated to a seventh term as president.[16]
- 15 May – The Ugandan Health Ministry confirms an outbreak of Bundibugyo ebolavirus disease, after a Congolese patient dies in intensive care in Kampala.[17][18]
- 18 May – President Museveni signs the Protection of Sovereignty Bill into law, forbidding foreign interference in the country.[19]
- 19 May – The government issues a temporary ban on handshakes, hugs, and unnecessary physical contact in response to the 2026 Ituri Province Ebola epidemic.[20]
- 24 May – A minivan carrying personnel from the Uganda Revenue Authority collides with an elephant inside Murchison Falls National Park, killing three passengers.[21]
- 26 May – 2026 Central Africa Ebola epidemic: Canada imposes a mandatory 21-day self-isolation for travelers arriving from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan, and suspends visa applications from those countries effective from the next day until 29 August.[22]
- 27 May – 2026 Central Africa Ebola epidemic: The government closes its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo for four weeks in an effort to limit the spread of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus.[23]
June
- 15 June – Opposition politician Erias Lukwago is arrested by soldiers after pursuing a case against army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba.[24]
- 28 June – General Muhoozi Kainerugaba orders the closure of the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, stating that he does not believe in a free press. Military personnel are deployed to the media groups' premises in Kampala.[25]
July
- 7 July – A group of Ugandan farmers file a case in the UK High Court against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), seeking to apply Ugandan constitutional, environmental, and climate law to the project.[26]
- 11 July – At least 16 people die of starvation in the Karamoja sub-region following a prolonged drought that destroyed crops.[27]
- 16 July – A school bus returning from an educational trip to Sipi Falls crashes in Kapchorwa District, killing 21 people.[28]
August
- 2 August – Uganda inaugurates Yonatan Netanyahu's statue as a honour at Entebbe International Airport.[29]
- 3 August – A taxi van and a truck collide in Kalungu District, killing 14 people.[30]
- 6 August – Uganda authorizes deploying its soldiers for the International Stabilization Force in Gaza.[31]
- 26 August – 2026 Central Africa Ebola epidemic: The World Health Organization declares the end of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in Uganda, following the government's declaration a month earlier; the outbreak recorded 20 cases and two deaths.[32]
September
- 3 September – Uber announces the immediate closure of its ride-hailing in Uganda, ending its operations in the country after beginning there in 2016.[33]
Holidays
Source:[34]
- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 26 January – Liberation Day
- 16 February – Archbishop Janani Luwum Day
- 8 March – International Women's Day
- 20 March – Ramadan Bairam Holiday
- 3 April – Good Friday
- 5 April – Easter Sunday
- 6 April – Easter Monday
- 1 May – Labour Day
- 27 May – Eid al-Adha
- 3 June – Uganda Martyrs' Day
- 9 June – National Heroes' Day
- 9 October – Independence Day
- 25 December – Christmas Day
- 26 December – Boxing Day
Deaths
- 17 January – Stella Isodo Apolot, 51, politician, MP (since 2021).[35]
- 19 April – Helen Nakimuli, 40, politician, MP (since 2021).[36]
- 1 June – Master Parrot, 47-48, dancehall and Afro-pop musician.[37]
- 6 June – Musaazi Charles Kalooli, 32, social media influencer.[38]
- 18 July – Moses Ali, 87, military officer, deputy prime minister (1989–1991, 2013–2026).[39]
- 19 July – Christopher Senyonjo, 94, Anglican bishop and LGBT rights campaigner.[40]
- 5 August – David Owori, 27, footballer (SC Villa, national team).[41]
- 27 August – Rukidi IV of Tooro, 34, traditional ruler, Omukama of Tooro (since 1995).[42]
- 24 September – Moses Matovu, 77, musician (Afrigo Band).[43]