President of Uganda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids President of theRepublic of Uganda |
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Presidential Standard
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| Residence | State House, Entebbe |
| Term length | Five years,
no term limits
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| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Uganda (1995) |
| Precursor | Queen of Uganda |
| Formation | 9 October 1963 |
| First holder | Kabaka Sir Edward Muteesa |
| Deputy | Vice President |
| Salary | 3,000,000 Ugandan shilling/US$9828 annually |
The president of the Republic of Uganda is the country's head of state and head of government. This means the president is both the top leader of the country and the person in charge of the government's daily work. The president also leads the executive branch of the government of Uganda. They are also the commander-in-chief of the Uganda People's Defence Force, which is Uganda's military.
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History of Uganda's Presidency
The role of president in Uganda began on October 9, 1963. Before this, the Queen of Uganda (who was Elizabeth II) was the head of state. At first, the president's job was mostly ceremonial. This means they had an important title but did not have much real power.
The first person to hold this role was Mutesa II of Buganda. In 1967, Milton Obote took over. He combined the roles of prime minister and president. This made the president the main leader with real power.
Since 1963, nine people have served as president. Most of them, except for Edward Muteesa, came to power after military takeovers or civil wars. The current president, Yoweri Museveni, took office in 1986. He has been president for the longest time in Uganda's history.
Becoming President: Rules and Requirements
To become president of Uganda, a person must meet certain requirements. They must be a citizen of Uganda from birth. They also need to be at least 35 years old. Additionally, they must be able to serve as a member of Parliament.
In 2005, the rules about how many times a person could be president were changed. Before this, there were limits on how many terms a president could serve. These limits were removed. In 2017, the age limit for presidential candidates was also removed. Before this, candidates could not be older than 75.
State House: The President's Home
State House is the official home of the president of Uganda. The main State House is in Entebbe. It was built in 1925 when Sir Geoffrey Archer was the governor of Uganda. At that time, Entebbe was the capital city.
After Uganda became independent in 1962, State House continued to be the official residence for the president. The first person to live there was Sir William Frederick Gowers. There is also a second State House located in Nakasero.
See Also
- List of heads of state of Uganda
- Vice President of Uganda
- Prime Minister of Uganda
- Politics of Uganda
- History of Uganda
- List of political parties in Uganda
