The Minister Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, has defended the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), clarified remarks about Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and issued a strong warning to corrupt officials during a televised interview on Sanyuka TV.
Speaking during the interview, Balaam described PLU as a civic structure aligned with government efforts to combat corruption and inefficiency in public service.
“As PLU, we no longer have a project; we now have a program that is helping the government fight theft, corruption, and lawlessness,” he said, adding that “we are a humble civic organization led by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.”
His remarks come amid ongoing public debate about PLU’s growing political visibility and its perceived alignment with key figures in government.
Reports have previously highlighted discussions around the influence of Muhoozi-aligned networks within political and security structures, especially as succession speculation continues to feature in national discourse.
On claims circulating online that Gen. Muhoozi personally authors his posts on X (formerly Twitter), Balaam challenged critics to provide proof.
“What evidence do people have that he is the one posting those tweets and that the account belongs to him? Let them present video proof,” he said.
He further defended Muhoozi’s character, stating: “Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba is law-abiding, humble, very kind, and very disciplined. He is a disciplinarian. I love him because he listens and is a patriot.”
Muhoozi, who also serves as Chief of Defence Forces, has in recent years drawn national attention for his social media activity and political statements, which have often sparked debate about the role of senior military officials in public political communication.
Turning to governance issues, Balaam issued a strong warning to corrupt officials, saying government action would soon be taken.
“We are going to clean up the system within two weeks. If you are stealing from the government, be ready, enough is enough,” he warned.
He also called on accountability institutions to act decisively, adding: “We urge the Inspectorate of Government to act on corruption, saying over 400 civil servants will be arrested and interdicted within two weeks.”
Balaam also defended the recent Kyankwanzi Ministers’ Retreat, rejecting claims that it was wasteful expenditure. “Kyankwanzi is not a restaurant. It is more like a boarding school. We even sleep on deckers,” he said, insisting that “no taxpayers’ money was wasted during the Kyankwanzi Ministers’ Retreat.”
The minister also praised President Yoweri Museveni, describing him as highly knowledgeable and experienced, saying: “President Museveni is ‘Mr. Computer’ — an encyclopedia and a very wise leader.”
On internal PLU matters, he dismissed claims of leadership disputes, saying: “Hon. Kabanda has never been fired from PLU; we have what we call a rotational change of duty.”
Balaam’s remarks add to ongoing public discussion about Uganda’s political direction, the growing visibility of PLU-linked figures, and continued debate around succession politics and governance priorities within the ruling establishment.