The son of President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has shaken up the military and the ruling party by declaring his desire to run for president.
After being recently freed of his duty as Commander of Land Forces, Gen. Muhoozi declared his intention to run for president of Uganda in memory of his mother.
“I can only honour my wonderful mother by serving as president of Uganda! He posted on his Twitter account on Thursday, “And I shall absolutely do it!!
Gen. Muhoozi praised Janet Museveni, the First Lady of Uganda and Minister of Education and Sports, calling her a “angel.” “My mother has always protected me like an angel. She is flawless, in a word! He wrote in a tweet on Friday morning, “Like most men feel about their mothers!!!”
Youth convention
Later, the four-star general declared that the president had approved holding a youth conference in the upcoming weeks.
As the Commander-in-Chief of the Mighty MK Army, I’m happy to report that HE Yoweri Museveni, our Supreme Commander of the Revolution, has given the go-ahead for a “Patriotic Youth Conference” in the coming weeks.
He recently oversaw a sporting event in Arua, northwest Uganda, and promised the youth that he will see them more frequently for the greater scheme.
His most recent remarks, which suggest a yearning for the presidency of Uganda, have alarmed both the army and the ruling National Resistance Movement, which is led by his father.
Contribution to the country
Muhoozi and his followers have been arguing that the general deserves to be in charge of the nation based on his political prowess and contributions to the nation.
Gen. Muhoozi must overcome two obstacles, nevertheless, in order to participate in the elections. The first step is to join the NRM. His remark about 2026 has some NRM mobilizers uneasy; they maintain that he would do the country more good in the army.
In order for Gen Muhoozi to fully participate in politics, another group, the Transformer Cadres Association of Uganda (TCAU), has been pleading with President Museveni to retire him. Additionally, they are promoting a constitutional amendment that would terminate universal adult suffrage and grant the parliament the authority to choose the president.
Avoid confusion
An NRM mobilizer named Ibrahim Kitatta claims that the NRM was forced to speak up and “guide the public to avoid uncertainty in the coming years” as a result of Gen. Muhoozi’s remark regarding the 2026 elections and the NRM’s previous quiet.
We support Muhoozi as a backup generator, ready to be activated in case the primary power supply fails or goes dark. We also support President Museveni as our constant power source.
However, any suggestion of President Museveni stepping down appears to be wishful thinking. President Museveni can now lawfully run for office whenever elections are held because the term and age restrictions have been removed.
Gen. Muhoozi is still a member of the army, according to Mr. Kitatta, and they can only discuss his presidential aspirations until he departs from the military.
Members of the UPDF must be nonpartisan and subject to civil authority according to Ugandan law. Gen. Muhoozi is already breaking the law as a result, despite the UPDF’s silence.
The EastAfrican tried unsuccessfully to get in touch with him. Andrew Mwenda, a close friend of his, stated, “The general is not ready for any interview at this moment.”
Constitutional court
Gen. Muhoozi was called before the Constitutional Court in May 2022 to answer a lawsuit accusing him of declaring his desire to serve as president while still an active army commander. The petition was filed by Kampala-based attorney Gawaya Tegulle.
Gen. Muhoozi violated the Code of Conduct for the Defense Forces while serving as an officer in the UPDF, according to the petitioner, who also urged the court to deem his actions unlawful.
Retirement
But nothing came of this situation. A current officer who wants to retire must apply, or they can retire when they reach retirement age, or they can leave for medical reasons, according to Lt. Col. Chris Magyezi, director of communications for the Land Forces. Gen Muhoozi in this instance has neither sought for retirement nor reached the necessary retirement age.
According to army regulations, a person can request for retirement from the rank of Lieutenant to Captain at age 40, whereas a major can do so at age 45.
The retirement age for a colonel is 51, while for a lieutenant colonel it is 47. The army code also outlines the number of service years an officer must have in order to be eligible to seek for retirement.