Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has directed members of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) to stop publicly discussing a paper President Yoweri Museveni reportedly presented to the ruling National Resistance Movement’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) on political succession, telling his supporters to focus instead on securing public endorsements.
In a post on X on Thursday, the Chief of Defence Forces said the sensitive discussions should be left to him and his father, as speculation continues over reports that Museveni has proposed him as a potential successor ahead of the 2031 presidential election.
“I hereby order all PLU members to stop discussing Mzee’s paper delivered to the NRM CEC recently. Leave these matters to me and Mzee. Focus on the endorsements from the people,” Muhoozi wrote.
The directive comes two days after reports emerged that Museveni had presented a succession paper during a closed-door CEC meeting at State House Entebbe on October 27.
Kasambya County MP Daudi Kabanda, a senior official in the PLU, claimed that Museveni had endorsed his son during the meeting.
However, the exact nature of the reported endorsement remains unclear, and the NRM has not publicly confirmed a formal CEC resolution adopting Muhoozi as its presidential candidate. Reports indicate that some committee members wanted further discussions on the paper.
Muhoozi’s latest directive appears to shift public messaging away from deliberations within the NRM leadership towards the grassroots endorsement campaign that his supporters have been pursuing.
The PLU has been mobilising support for Muhoozi’s anticipated presidential bid, with party figures and political leaders publicly backing his ambitions. The general’s instruction also places responsibility for discussing the reported succession proposal squarely with him and Museveni, rather than with PLU members.
Legal Questions Emerge Over Muhoozi’s Political Ambitions
The developments have also revived legal questions about the participation of a serving military officer in partisan political mobilisation.
Article 208(2) of Uganda’s Constitution requires the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to be non-partisan. The UPDF Act also establishes the army as a non-partisan institution subordinate to civilian authority.
The legal question is whether Muhoozi’s reported political mobilisation and the activities of his supporters are compatible with the restrictions governing serving military officers. His public instruction to PLU members does not, by itself, establish a legal violation. Any determination would depend on the specific conduct involved and the applicable legal provisions.
The succession debate also raises questions about the distinction between political endorsements and the formal process of electing a president.
Under Article 102 of the Constitution, a presidential candidate must be a Ugandan citizen by birth, a registered voter and have completed at least Advanced Level education or its equivalent, alongside the applicable constitutional qualifications and disqualifications.
Article 103 and the Presidential Elections Act provide for formal nomination requirements, including support from at least 100 registered voters in each of at least two-thirds of Uganda’s districts.
Consequently, endorsements collected by PLU supporters cannot substitute for the constitutional nomination process or the presidential election itself.
Within the NRM, the reported succession paper also does not automatically amount to a party nomination. The party would still need to follow its applicable rules and procedures to select a presidential candidate.
Muhoozi’s directive therefore comes at a sensitive moment in the debate over the ruling party’s future leadership. While his supporters are being encouraged to gather public endorsements, the status of Museveni’s reported proposal within the NRM remains unresolved publicly.
The central questions are whether the CEC will formally adopt a position on succession, how the NRM and PLU will manage their political relationship, and how Muhoozi’s military responsibilities intersect with his publicly expressed presidential ambitions.