Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba (L) exchanges a document with his father, President Museveni on May 3, 2023. PHOTO/PPU
Internet was again left buzzing Saturday after President Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba who has been mobilizing support ahead of 2026 presidential elections announced that he would not contest for the country’s top office currently occupied by his father for nearly four decades.
“I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026. Almighty God told me to focus on His Army first. So, I fully endorse President Yoweri Museveni in the next elections,” Gen Muhoozi who serves as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a position he has held since March 21, 2024 when he was appointed by his father, posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
In another tweet that followed about an hour after the first one, the 50-year-old heir apparent to the presidency told his over 95,000 X followers that “for me nothing on this earth is more Holier than UPDF! So, I cannot think of a greater honour than being in UPDF. It is Holy Ground!! Godbless Holy UPDF and Sacred Uganda forever” before warning that no civilian would lead Uganda after his ageing father, a former rebel leader who recently celebrated his 80th birthday.
But as social media users were still debating his posts, the controversial general, asked his “his millions of supporters”, especially mobilisers of his political pressure group, Patriotic League Uganda (PLU) to support Mr Museveni who plans to extend his grip on power in 2026.
“The future belongs to our mighty God alone, and we shall triumph in His name,” he posted before taking a swipe at foreign media houses whose journalists he described as “low-life” planning to pen opinions about his presidential ambitions.
“Now some 'low-life' foreign journalists are going to write op-eds in their Western papers saying 'Museveni's Son a Threat to Ugandan Democracy'. Egged on no doubt by internal and foreign enemies who want to enslave our country again. When we were fighting for Ugandan freedom in Teso, Lango, Bundibugyo, Garamba, Mogadishu, Juba and Bor those 'fake lovers' of Uganda were nowhere to be seen. Back then for them it wouldn't have mattered if our impoverished country was destroyed forever. Now they perceive that there is profit to be made from our now prosperous nation. Fellow Ugandans, resisting the imperialists is a patriotic duty!” he posted.
For about two years, the Gen Muhoozi and his supporters have traversed the country, celebrating birthday parties and other events in which they announced he (Muhoozi) as their preferred candidate for the 2026 presidential elections, whose date the electoral commission has just set to about January 12, 2026.
And in March 2024, when Gen Kainerugaba was appointed the Chief of Defence Forces, the highest office in Uganda’s military, supporters thought he had been rewarded with more powers and influence while political pundits said the standby generator as his supporters preferred to call him, had been switched off.
They observed that his appointment could have been a reminder that he is a serving soldier and should steer clear of politics because the Political Parties and Organisations Act (Section 16) says: “A member of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Prisons Service or a public officer or a traditional or cultural leader or a person employed in a company wholly owned by the government shall not- (a) be a founder, promoter or another member of a political party or organisation; (B) hold office in a political party/organisation; (C) Speak in public or publish anything involving matters of political or organisation controversy; or (d) engage in canvassing support of a political party or organisation or of a candidate standing for public election sponsored by a political party or organisation.”
But Gen Muhoozi had moved on with his mobilisation unhindered by this law.
Last month, he fired at his brother-in-law, Mr Odrek Rwabwogo, a presidential advisor on exports, who sources indicate is harbouring presidential ambitions and enjoys the support of some members of Museveni’s family. He accused his father of hobnobbing with Rwabwogo, yet he has kept his supporter Mr Michael Mawanda in jail.
Mr Rwabwogo’s team quickly responded with a statement, saying the remarks attributed to the general were instigated by intrigue.
But Gen Kainerugaba’s supporters also responded with a statement signed by one legislator Mr Daudi Kabanda, who vowed to “fiercely” push back the “inherently inaccurate’’ information.
“As PLU, we want to assure every good meaning Ugandan to treat it as baseless, ungrounded, and unsubstantiated,” he said.
However, without divulging details, President Museveni asked his party National Resistance Movement members to avoid “unprincipled conflicts” and focus on the party’s principles of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-Economic transformation, and democracy.
“Our mission is not personal gain, but the advancement of the people of Uganda,” President Museveni said last weekend during discussions with members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus at State House, Entebbe.
For now, political analysts believe President Museveni’s next term of office, which is as assured as sunset come 2026, will be dominated by more internal fights for supremacy among family members than political fights since political parties and their leaders have either been integrated into the ruling party or have been bribed to silence.
Whichever role Gen Kainerugaba takes could determine how or when Museveni leaves power.
