Former allies and foes alike said that the President, 61, his image already badly tarnished by the detention of Kizza Besigye, the main opposition leader, was trying to create a “Museveni dynasty” made up of sycophants and close family.

Augustine Ruzindana, whose constituency in west Uganda is targeted by Mrs Museveni, said: “For the past three years we have been witnessing the creation of a Museveni dynasty. He can’t trust anyone but family — which is why he has them in all the different state institutions.” Mr Ruzindana, once a close ally of Mr Museveni, is now a key figure in the opposition. Five members of the ruling National Resistance Movement stood down to allow Mrs Museveni to contest his Ruhama county seat, a move that enraged opponents, who sense patronage will be used to sway voters.

“I am one of the President’s main opponents. Now his politics have sunk to personal battles. We are heading in the same direction Robert Mugabe [President of Zimbabwe] has gone,” said Mr Ruzindana, who fought in the bush war that brought President Museveni to power in 1986.

Dr Besigye, the opposition leader, who heads the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) coalition grouping, returned to Uganda last month from exile in South Africa, but was held on terrorism charges.

A defiant Mr Museveni, who says that he alone has the necessary “vision and ability” to govern the country, hit back at critics and attacked Britain for “70 years of colonial rule”.

He was expected to step down when a second presidential term ends next year, but instead orchestrated a constitutional change that allows him to stand again. Many fear that he is planning to become president for life.

More than 100 lawyers demonstrated outside Kampala’s High Court yesterday in protest at military interference in the trial of Dr Besigye, whose bail hearing had been suddenly postponed. Major-General Mugisha Muntu, a top FDC official, described the postponement as “more monkey politics from the President”.

Salim Saleh, the President’s brother-in-law, a former army officer turned businessman, was recently made presidential adviser on reconstruction and reconciliation — despite being named in several corruption scandals. The President’s son, Muhoozi Kaneirugaba, has the rank of major in the army, but is said to lack military training.

“I don’t see why the opposition and the West expects President Museveni to be an exception. Absolute power is bound to corrupt. It is inevitable. We are witnessing Zimbabwe all over again and we all know where that route leads to,” said another of Museveni’s ex-allies.

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