Museveni Names Preferred Candidate to Succeed António Guterres as UN Chief

Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni has officially named his preferred candidate to succeed Antonio Guterres as UN Chief.

According to a statement dated July 26 2026, Museveni has nominated veteran diplomat Olara Otunnu as Uganda’s candidate for the position of the next UN Secretary-General.

“The Government of the Republic of Uganda has officially nominated Ambassador Olara Otunnu for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations. Ambassador Otunnu is a distinguished Ugandan statesman and international civil servant with decades of experience in diplomacy and public service,” read the statement.

According to the Ugandan government, Olara’s career spans senior positions within the UN, national government and civil society, making him a suitable choice to lead the UN.

Olara’s Achievements

Among Olara’s most notable roles at the UN was serving as the First Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict between 1998 and 2005.

During his tenure, he helped elevate the protection of children who were affected by armed conflict to the UN Security Council’s agenda and played a key role in developing the monitoring and compliance mechanism.

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Before that, Olara served as Uganda’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN from 1980 to 1985.

Olara also presided over the UN Security Council in December 1981 when he introduced the straw ballot voting system used to gauge support during the election of the Secretary General.

The process later became widely known as the “Otunnu Formula” and has been used in every UN Secretary General selection since.

Other Positions

Apart from the UN, Olara also served as Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1985 and 1986 and he has also led several international institutions such as the International Peace Academy.

The government of Uganda also mentioned his academic background, stating that he has taught at Albany Law School and the American University in Paris.

He also holds a Bachelor of Jurisprudence from Oxford University and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.

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Olara has also received several international honours for his work in peace and human rights, which include the Sydney Peace Prize, the German Africa Prize and the Harvard Law School Alumni Association Award.

Further, the Ugandan government has urged all UN member states to support Olara as the process to select the next UN Secretary-General will begin after Antonio leaves office on December 31, 2026.

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Statement released by Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs PHOTO/MFA