Ex-Museveni's Rival Joins Race for UN Secretary General
A former Ugandan presidential candidate and diplomat Olara Otunnu has thrown his hat into the ring to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), the seventh contender to succeed Antonio Guterres when he steps down at the end of this year.
Otunnu joins six others Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Senegal's Macky Sall in the running to succeed outgoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who leaves office on December 31.
La Neice Collins, a representative of the office of the president of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, confirmed Otunnu's candidature.
"The president of the General Assembly has received a notification from the Republic of Uganda regarding the nomination of Olara Otunnu for the post of secretary-general," the statement said.
In a joint letter dated July 25, U.N. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock and Security Council President Zenon Ngay Mukongo informed permanent representatives and observers that Uganda had officially presented Otunnu as its candidate.
“The Republic of Uganda has presented the nomination of Mr. Olara Otunnu as candidate for the position of Secretary-General,” the letter said.
The two U.N. leaders said they were forwarding to member states the communication and supporting documents submitted by Uganda’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations on July 24.
“We have the further honour to forward the communication and documents received from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations dated 24 July 2026 in this respect,” the letter said.
The notification follows the launch of the U.N. selection process for the next Secretary-General under a joint letter issued on Nov. 23, 2025, and in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 79/327.
The circulation of Uganda’s nomination formally places Otunnu among the candidates seeking to succeed the next U.N. chief, with the process now moving to consultations among member states and the U.N. Security Council.
Otunnu served as U.N. Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict from 1998 to 2005, having previously been Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
He later became a leading opposition politician and long-time rival of President Yoweri Museveni, contesting the presidency in 2011.
On July 30, the 15 members of the UN Security Council are due to hold their first closed-door, anonymous vote on their preferences among the candidates.
That first "straw poll" will be followed by an unspecified number of similar votes until one candidate can secure the required nine votes without a veto from any of the five permanent members -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia.
The name of the selected candidate will then be sent to the General Assembly for formal appointment to the position.
He or she will take office on January 1, 2027.