President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially assumed the chairmanship of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), placing Uganda at the forefront of continental governance and development efforts.
The instruments of office were received on his behalf by Jessica Alupo during the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa on February 13, 2026.
President Museveni succeeds Abdelmadjid Tebboune and will serve as Chairperson of the APR Forum for a two-year term. The APR Forum is the highest decision-making organ of the APRM.
In his acceptance speech, delivered by Vice President Alupo, President Museveni announced a personal contribution of US$1 million to support the operations of the APRM.
“I bring you greetings from the Government and People of the Republic of Uganda, on whose behalf I accept the responsibility of Chairperson of the African Peer Review Forum of Heads of State and Government,” Museveni said.
He commended President Tebboune and the people of Algeria for what he described as exemplary leadership and stewardship of the APR Forum.
Museveni highlighted key achievements registered under Tebboune’s tenure, including progress on the Africa Credit Rating Agency, completion of several Country and Targeted Review Reports, publication of the Africa Governance Report on Natural Resource Governance, and adoption of the APRM Strategic Plan 2025–2028.
“These milestones have strengthened the relevance, credibility and institutional foundations of the APRM. They provide a firm platform upon which we shall build,” he noted.
President Museveni reiterated that the APRM, conceived as a voluntary, African-owned instrument for self-assessment, mutual accountability and peer learning, must now shift from diagnosis to action.
“APRM is moving from reporting to implementation, and from process to measurable impact on the lives of our people,” he said, adding that Africa’s challenge lies not in lack of vision but in persistent structural bottlenecks that hinder effective implementation.
He identified weak infrastructure, fragmented markets, institutional fragility, governance deficits and limited value addition as some of the constraints slowing Africa’s socio-economic transformation.
According to Museveni, the APRM provides a unique African platform to rigorously interrogate these challenges and promote practical, evidence-based solutions through peer learning.
Uganda’s Chairmanship Priorities
President Museveni outlined three key strategic priorities that will guide Uganda’s chairmanship:
First, strengthening the implementation of APRM recommendations. He said Country Review Reports and Targeted Reviews must translate into clear, prioritised actions embedded within national development plans and budgets, supported by effective National Programmes of Action.
Second, deepening peer learning around Africa’s governance and development bottlenecks. He emphasised the need for candid, solutions-oriented engagement among countries, focusing on public sector efficiency, service delivery, economic transformation, state resilience and inclusive growth.
Third, enhancing the institutional effectiveness and sustainability of the APRM through stronger coordination with the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and national institutions, improved use of data and evidence, and predictable, sustainable financing.
He stressed that full operationalisation of the Africa Credit Rating Agency will be critical to strengthening Africa’s financial sovereignty and development credibility.
Museveni noted that Uganda assumes the APRM chairmanship at a time when Africa is advancing Agenda 2063 and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, calling on the mechanism to position itself as a practical governance tool that addresses institutional and governance constraints to development.
He urged participating states to remain committed through active engagement, timely fulfilment of financial obligations and sustained advocacy for the mechanism, while encouraging non-participating countries to join the APRM.
“As incoming Chairperson, Uganda will work closely with the APR Panel of Eminent Persons, the APRM Secretariat, National Governing Councils and all Member States to reinforce the relevance, credibility and impact of the Mechanism,” Museveni assured.
In closing, he reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to the founding principles of the APRM, African ownership, mutual accountability and continuous improvement.
“Together, let us ensure that the APRM evolves from a mechanism of assessment into a driver of action, reform and tangible progress for our people,” he said, thanking fellow leaders for the confidence placed in Uganda’s leadership.
