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What do simultaneous endorsements for Museveni , Muhoozi mean?
A photo montage of President Yoweri Museveni (right) and his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba (left).
What you need to know:
- Whereas Muhoozi is a Ugandan who has a right to harbour and pursue presidential ambitions, the reality is that Museveni can frustrate his ambitions if he (Museveni) wishes so.
- The fact that Muhoozi, a serving military officer, engages in partisan-politics-talk with impunity proves that Museveni isn’t keen on stopping his mobilisations.
To someone who is not well-acquainted with Uganda’s politics, the impression is that President Yoweri Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, are in a race to presidency in 2026 against each other.
The two are mobilising with almost the same vigour, on the same scale and exactly for the same presidential term, 2026-2031.
In October of this year alone, youth in Rukiga, Buganda, Teso and Greater Mpigi endorsed Gen Museveni for presidency, 2026-2031.
On the 2nd of November this year, New Vision, through its journalist, David Lumu, reported that the first national vice chairperson for National Resistance Movement (NRM), Brig Moses Kigongo endorsed the incumbent, President Museveni, for presidency, 2026-2031.
New Vision quoted Hajji Kigongo to have said: “President Yoweri Museveni’s track record is evident enough to show that he is still the best striker with visionary leadership and has our interests at heart. This is therefore why he is endorsed to lead our party and country over and over again.”
Kigongo said the words on November 1, during the launch of the 2026 Museveni presidential drive dubbed ‘Omalako Jajja Tova ku Main’.
On October 30, in Isingiro, on an event that was attended by Museveni’s young brother and paternal uncle to Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Michael Nuwagira alias Toyota, youth endorsed Muhoozi for presidency, 2026-2031.
During Muhoozi’s nation-wide birthday celebrations, it was not uncommon to see youth donning shirts and other paraphernalia bearing messages endorsing Muhoozi for presidency, 2026-2031. Even today, youth on the streets of Kampala, boda boda riders, street vendors etc. still put on T-shirts, jumpers, caps etc. with messages endorsing Muhoozi for presidency in 2026.
On November 11, the MK Army organised an event at Uganda Museum in which the new leadership of MK Army was elected. The event was attended by some notable faces -- Frank Gashumba; Lawrence Muganga, the vice chancellor of Victoria University; Michael Mawanda, the Member of Parliament for Igara East; events promoter Balaam Barugahara and other Ugandans from different regions of the country. MK Army’s cardinal objective is to mobilise political support for Muhoozi towards 2026.
As I’ve noted at the opening of this article, a spectator who doesn’t understand our politics well might get a false impression that Muhoozi is in a race for power against his father.
Whereas Muhoozi is a Ugandan who has a right to harbour and pursue presidential ambitions, the reality is that Museveni can frustrate his ambitions if he (Museveni) wishes so. The fact that Muhoozi, a serving military officer, engages in partisan-politics-talk with impunity proves that Museveni isn’t keen on stopping his mobilisations.
Further still, from the comments Museveni made during Muhoozi’s birthday dinner held at Entebbe this year: “I am patient with corruption but Muhoozi isn’t. He will fight corruption”, it’s almost lucid that Museveni consented and most probably still consents to Muhoozi’s political mobilisations.
So, to claim that Muhoozi is a force against Museveni’s presidency is to deviate sharply from reality.
It is of immense political potency for the regime if the discussion on 2026 presidential elections gets centred on Museveni and the son, but it’s a false dichotomy because the two aren’t the only potential options for Uganda in 2026 presidential elections.But if the state can consistently suppress activities of other major opposition political parties with the determination it has demonstrated in the last three years, the impression that presidency in 2026 is about Museveni and his son will become stronger in the eyes of ordinary voters.
The suppression will strategically and gradually eliminate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Museveni’s main opponent and Muhoozi’s perceived future main-opponent, and other major political opposition players from the game because politics is largely a game of perception.When the options are reduced to two -- Museveni and the son -- the dynasty idea, with a republic coating, will become more viable in Uganda.
Authored by Moses Baguma, [email protected]
