Nine heads of state confirm attendance, as 66,000 guests expected at Kololo

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Organisers of President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds have confirmed a massive turnout of invited guests, including at least nine heads of state and 66,000 invited and uninvited guests.

According to the chairman of the National Organising Committee, Yunus Kakande, the tenth head of state was still pending confirmation by Monday afternoon, just hours before the ceremony.

“At least nine heads of state had confirmed their attendance for the swearing-in ceremony of President Yoweri Museveni taking place on Tuesday at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. The tenth head of state was yet to confirm by Monday afternoon,” Kakande said.

He made the remarks after chairing the final high-level coordination meeting held at Kololo, which was attended by the Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe, alongside other senior government officials and security planners.

Kakande revealed that the scale of attendance reflects both the domestic and international significance of the event. In total, organisers have extended invitations to more than 66,000 guests drawn from different categories.

“We have invited 7,000 VIPs and 6,000 delegates from the expanded NRM committees across 150 districts, plus over 50,000 ordinary people who will not need invitation cards to access the venue,” Kakande said.

The breakdown shows a carefully structured seating and access arrangement designed to accommodate high-level dignitaries, party representatives, and members of the public expected to witness the ceremony.

Officials said the VIP list includes heads of state, foreign delegations, government ministers, members of diplomatic missions and senior party leaders from across the region and beyond.

According to the organising committee, the ceremony will begin early in the morning, with guests expected to start arriving at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds at 7:00 am.

President Museveni is expected to arrive at 10:40 am to take the oath of office for another term in a ceremony that will be broadcast live and attended by thousands on-site.

The programme is scheduled to run until 2:30 pm and will feature official speeches, cultural performances and military honours marking the presidential inauguration.

Kakande assured the country that all logistical arrangements had been finalised, including security, seating, hospitality and catering services for the massive gathering.

“We are fully set for tomorrow’s ceremony. It is going to be colourful with everything put in place to receive our guests,” he said.

He further confirmed that food and beverages had been sufficiently stocked to cater for all categories of attendees, from high-level dignitaries to invited members of the public.

Security agencies have also intensified preparations around Kololo and the surrounding areas to manage the large influx of people expected to attend. Road access routes, screening points and VIP corridors have been clearly designated to ensure smooth movement throughout the day.

The final coordination meeting underscored the government’s emphasis on order, timing and protocol, given the presence of multiple heads of state and a large domestic audience.

The attendance of at least nine confirmed heads of state highlights the regional diplomatic weight of the event, positioning Uganda’s inauguration as one of the most attended presidential ceremonies in East and Central Africa in recent years.

With thousands of invited guests, foreign dignitaries and citizens expected at Kololo, the ceremony is set to be both a national milestone and a major regional political gathering.

As Uganda prepares for the oath-taking, all eyes will be on Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where security, diplomacy and spectacle will converge for a defining moment in the country’s political calendar.