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Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has officially changed his names to include his childhood name, Tibuhaburwa.

The president signed a declaration as required by the Registration of Persons Act, to be formally known as Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni.

Though the name has been referred to in different instances over his 34-year rule, he has never used it publicly.

According to the deed poll document dated October 6, Museveni says he was born in September 1944 and named Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta.  However, his academic certificates bear the name Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni.

“Since the completion of my education, the names Yoweri Museveni, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni have been used interchangeably in reference to me,” Museveni states in the sworn document.

Registration of Persons Regulations has placed many politicians and public leaders to rectify distortions in their name order as they risk losing nomination for the 2021 elections.

It is believed the president’s move follows a requirement from the Electoral Commission for the elections candidates to ensure that names on their nomination documents match those on their academic records.

The electoral body announced recently that candidates whose names on the papers submitted are not the same as those on their academic papers will not be nominated.