Uganda’s ruling party has pushed back against a reported plan to position General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as President Yoweri Museveni's successor, exposing growing resistance within the party to a possible family handover of power.
According to AFP, five people who attended a closed-door meeting of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) executive committee said members opposed Kainerugaba’s proposed candidacy during discussions on Tuesday.
The meeting, convened to consider Museveni’s succession, saw a vote on the army chief’s candidacy abandoned after several of the 28 committee members spoke against the proposal and received loud cheers.
Four members had voted in favour of Kainerugaba and three against before the vote was halted, the sources said.
Museveni, 82, has governed Uganda since 1986. His son, 52, currently heads the country’s army and has increasingly emerged as an influential figure as questions grow over the president’s eventual departure from power.
Kainerugaba has declared his intention to contest the 2031 presidential election. However, his political ambitions have unsettled some members of the ruling party, particularly over his conduct and controversial social media posts.
One party source told AFP that the army chief’s confrontational approach had created unease among some members.
Another source said Museveni has been advised to remove his son from the military and assign him a civilian role to help him understand the population and prepare for leadership.
The president first raised the succession question with senior party members in late October, presenting a paper in which he argued that his son had the necessary credentials to lead Uganda.
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