Breaking: Powerful Uganda Military Chief Declares Year He Will Run for President
- Uganda's army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced his intention to contest the 2031 presidential election in a series of X posts
- Kainerugaba, 52, claimed his father President Yoweri Museveni would back his candidacy and predicted a 90% election victory
- The announcement came as Uganda's main opposition figures remained either in exile or in prison ahead of the next election cycle
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Uganda's military chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has publicly declared his intention to run for the country's presidency in 2031.
He posted the announcement on X late on Tuesday, August 25.
Source: Twitter
"I will stand for the highest office in the land in 2031. And we will win by the grace of Almighty God," Kainerugaba wrote, in one of several posts on the platform.
The 52-year-old general also claimed his father's backing would secure him a landslide result.
"With my great father, Mzee's, support I will get 90% in the elections in 2031," he wrote, using an honorific to refer to the 81-year-old president.
Kainerugaba's rise and political ambitions
Kainerugaba has long been viewed as the most likely successor to his father, who has governed Uganda since 1986.
He leads a political pressure group called the Patriotic League of Uganda and had previously signalled his intention to contest the January 2025 elections before withdrawing his candidacy.
During the January polls, he played a central role in ensuring his father's re-election, ordering a crackdown on political opponents and directing an internet shutdown during the period.
He is also known for provocative social media activity, including past posts in which he threatened to behead leading opposition figure Bobi Wine.
Opposition weakened ahead of 2031 vote
The declaration comes at a time when Uganda's opposition has been significantly weakened. Bobi Wine, the country's most prominent opposition leader, fled to the United States earlier this year, citing fears for his safety. Veteran opposition politician Kizza Besigye has been held in prison since 2024 and is currently standing trial on treason charges.
Museveni's government, which heads the ruling National Resistance Movement, has faced sustained criticism from human rights groups over allegations of torture, kidnappings and arbitrary detention of political opponents. The government denies these allegations.
When asked whether Museveni himself planned to seek another term in office, government spokesman Alan Kasujja told Reuters that "President Museveni and the party he leads will make that decision when the time comes."
Uganda’s President Museveni sworn in for 7th term
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, aged 81, been sworn in for a record seventh consecutive term after winning disputed elections in January.
His victory, declared at over 70% of the vote, extends his rule until 2031, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Museveni first came to power in 1986 and has now led Uganda for more than 40 years.
Source: Legit.ng
