By Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba the controversial son of the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni continues to surprise Ugandans through his recent tweets. Last week Gen Muhoozi claimed that he only believes in Jesus and his father Museveni, not the ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Muhoozi’s reasons
The first son Muhoozi distanced himself from his father’s NRM by rubbishing the party saying as much as he believes in the values of his father, he does not believe in the ruling party which in Marxist terms, is probably the most reactionary organisation in Uganda.
He labelled the ruling party as one that does not care about the people of Uganda. According to Muhoozi the leadership of Uganda has failed totally and it’s a fact that the party go back and rest.
Gen Muhoozi openly said that the president of Uganda has a dormant party that has concentrated on torturing humble Ugandans. It’s believed that the president of Uganda, Museveni has lost voters in Uganda because of NRM activities. This is enough disclosure that the NRM party is undergoing hard times.
About NRM
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) was founded in 1986 by President Museveni. NRM waged a guerrilla war on the then-sitting president through its rebel wing National Resistance Army (NRA), which toppled the government in 1986.
According to NRM, it restored political stability, security, law and order, Constitutionalism and the rule of law to Uganda.
Behind the rage
Gen Muhoozi has declared intentions to run for presidency come 2026 claiming his fit to be the next president of Uganda. Hitting on the ruling party came after the NRM youth leaders endorsed President Museveni 78 years as their candidate for the 7th term in the 2026 presidential elections sparking disagreements in the northern region as some members are asking him to take a break when the current five-year term ends.
In November this year, a group of about 700 NRM youth assembled in Lira City and declared their support for President Museveni.
They commended Museveni for promoting peace, professionalizing the army, championing youth-led interventions, discovering oil and pushing for the East African Community regional integration.
Father and son’s battle for the top office
In a series of tweets, the Uganda full military General Muhoozi claimed that the only way to thank his mother was by becoming the president of Uganda after his father retired.
Towards the end of April 2022, Muhoozi signalled his desire to go public about his presidential ambitions when he auspiciously turned his 48th birthday celebrations into a national event. The first son’s expression of interest in succeeding his father who has been in power for more than 35 years since 1986, came after almost a decade of speculations.
Party after party- Several festivities for the first son Muhoozi were organised countrywide starting from April to the beginning of May and the main event which was held at the State House Entebbe was grated by President Museveni and the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame who had spent years without coming to Uganda due to unknown conflicts.
Some of MKAt48’s birthday events led to the closure of roads, diversions and disruptions within cities which created quite a buzz in the media and were seen by many as an effort to make Gen Muhoozi popular as he prepares the ground for a shot at the 2026 general elections.
The project Speculations
The “Muhoozi Project” was coined by one Gen David Sejusa in 2013 when he revealed that President Museveni was grooming his son Muhozi to succeed him when he retires. But President Museveni and Gen Muhoozi repeatedly denied the allegation.
Public announcement
After the much-hyped birthday celebrations, which included some activities like a marathon and a football match, Lt Gen Muhoozi seems to have gathered the courage to publicly express his interest in the presidency. On May 1st Gen Muhoozi via Twitter his favourite social media channel made the long-awaited announcement. “When Team MK wins power in this country, which we will, our first action will be to increase the sports budget,” Muhoozi said on Twitter adding that team MK will announce their political programme soon.
NRM supporters fight for Museveni
In October this year, some of the President of Uganda’s ministers endorsed him for the presidency in the next election only a year after when he was elected in sith term. Those who are behind the endorsement have often argued that President Museveni has done a lot for the country and that he should not be subjected to an internal process since his track records speak for themselves.
In an interview with Africa-Press, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner of Masaka City Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi said that he thinks that the endorsement will be approved and the president will agree to stand.
Ugandans are longing for a peaceful transition of power
Uganda has never had a peaceful transition of power. All the past years since independence the peaceful transition of power is still elusive. Uganda is still entangled in cycles of bloodshed that have accompanied change from one regime to another. From President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the 1980s, the promise of national deliverance from the curse of violent government change is still alive. Some politicians, most especially from the opposition side have tried to debate it for years but still, there is no change. President Museveni who has been in power for over 35 years believes that changing presidents is not the solution to Uganda’s problem.
Father or son
It is still not clear when Gen Muhoozi will be likely to stand for the presidency. His father’s six-term in office will end in 2026, and Muhoozi is still serving in Uganda in Uganda’s army Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). The Constitution of Uganda forbids serving soldiers from participating in active politics.
Another controversy was a legal argument by the legislator Muhammad Nsereko that Muhoozi cannot stand for presidency reason being he is not a citizen of Uganda by birth. Article 102 of the Ugandan Constitution a person to qualify to stand for the presidency must be a citizen of Uganda by birth. Muhoozi was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1974.
However, some lawyers Nsereko’s arguments say that Article 10 provides a person shall be ” citizens of Uganda by birth” if one of their parent or parents or grandparents is or was a member of any of the indigenous communities existing or residing within the borders of Uganda as the first day of February 1926.
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