Uganda's Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has made a significant statement regarding the country's political succession. He claims that members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) have decided to rally behind General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as the person they want to inherit the presidency after President Yoweri Museveni's administration. Tayebwa made these remarks during activities surrounding the growing mobilisation in support of Muhoozi's potential 2031 presidential bid.
Muhoozi currently serves as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and is President Museveni's son. His possible presidential ambitions have been openly discussed by his supporters, with mobilisation activities taking place in different parts of the country. Supporters have portrayed the campaign as a grassroots demand for Muhoozi to take over the leadership of the country. However, Muhoozi himself has not yet formally taken over the NRM leadership from Museveni.
Tayebwa's remarks add to a series of increasingly public declarations by political figures supporting Muhoozi. The Deputy Speaker has been involved in mobilisation activities associated with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a movement closely associated with Muhoozi and his supporters. The mobilisation has included efforts to collect public endorsements for Muhoozi ahead of the 2031 elections.
The latest comments from Tayebwa place the succession question more directly within the NRM political conversation. The reference to Muhoozi as the person who will "inherit the presidency" is particularly significant because President Museveni has been in power since 1986. The question of who could eventually succeed him is one of the most closely watched issues in Uganda's politics.
Discussions about political succession have become increasingly prominent within the ruling establishment. Muhoozi occupies a unique position in Uganda's political landscape, being both a senior military officer and the son of the sitting president. His supporters argue that his growing public profile reflects increasing demand for generational change within the ruling movement.
Critics, however, have questioned the relationship between his military position and his political activities. Muhoozi currently serves as Chief of Defence Forces, meaning that any transition from the military into active electoral politics would have to take into account the legal and constitutional requirements governing serving members of the armed forces.
Tayebwa's statement suggests that sections of the NRM are already thinking beyond the Museveni era and have identified Muhoozi as their preferred figure for the next phase. The political significance of the statement is likely to attract further debate as Uganda moves closer to the 2031 electoral cycle. For now, Muhoozi remains a serving military commander, while supporters continue building public momentum around his possible political future.
Key points
- Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa claims NRM members have chosen Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as their preferred successor to President Yoweri Museveni.
- Muhoozi's possible presidential ambitions have been openly discussed by his supporters, with mobilisation activities taking place in different parts of the country.
- The succession debate has generated attention because Muhoozi occupies a unique position in Uganda's political landscape as a senior military officer and the son of the sitting president.
