Nigeria, Jan. 23 -- Yoweri Museveni did not begin his political life as a villain. When he seized power in Uganda in 1986, he was celebrated at home and abroad as a disciplined revolutionary, a leader who promised to end the cycle of coups, dictatorships, and decay that had haunted post-independence Africa. He spoke convincingly about democracy, institutions, and the dangers of leaders overstaying their welcome. For a while, that promise seemed credible.

Nearly four decades later, Museveni has become a cautionary tale, not just for Uganda, but for the entire continent. His rule is no longer about governance; it is about dynastic entrenchment, personal enrichment, and the normalization of family-centered state control. Uganda increasingl...