In a closed-door session of Uganda's ruling party, the executive of the National Resistance Movement is said to have turned against a plan that would pass the presidency from Yoweri Museveni, now 82 and in power since 1986, to his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the army chief. The moment reveals how a long-settled order can begin to strain when the question of who inherits it is finally spoken aloud. Behind the procedural turn lies a wider unease about a son who has shown little patience for restraint, and it is still unclear whether the party's quiet murmurs will harden into a formal answer before
Uganda's ruling party reportedly rejects Museveni's plan to make his son Muhoozi his successor
Political rivals have reportedly been imprisoned, a leading independent media group was forced to close for several weeks, and opposition leader Bobi Wine has been threatened with beheading.
A vote was called, then abandoned before it could be completed.
Mark
Why does a split vote in a single committee meeting matter so much?
Mimi
Because the NRM has been Museveni's instrument since 1986. If its executive hesitates over his son, that's a rare sign of independent judgment inside the party.
Mark
And the cheering the sources describe?
Mimi
That's the telling detail. Members who spoke against Muhoozi were applauded by others in the room, which suggests the doubt wasn't limited to a few voices.
Luke
Careful, though. All of this comes from five anonymous sources. The party hasn't confirmed it publicly, as far as the report shows.
Mark
What about the vote count?
Luke
Four in favour, three against, and then it was called off. That's seven votes out of 28 members. It isn't a verdict, and calling it a rejection is the sources' characterisation.
Mimi
Fair. But the fact that the vote was abandoned says something. You don't stop a vote you expect to win.
Luke
That's an inference, and a reasonable one, but the report doesn't say why it was halted beyond the speeches.
Mark
What does Muhoozi's record add to this?
Mimi
Imprisoned rivals, a threat to behead Bobi Wine, a media group shut for several weeks. One source explicitly pointed to his combative social media posts as the cause of unease.
Luke
And what we don't know is whether Museveni will push on anyway. Nothing here says he's dropped the plan.
The Pulse
- A vote for the president's son was abandoned mid-count, with four in favour and three against, while loud cheers answered members who spoke out.
- Muhoozi has publicly vowed to stand in 2031, even as he is accused of jailing rivals and threatening opposition leader Bobi Wine with beheading.
- A leading independent media group was forced to shut for weeks, sharpening fears that the succession fight is being pushed through intimidation.
- The party has not confirmed the account, which rests on five anonymous sources, leaving the rejection in a fragile, contested state.
- Museveni, 82, still holds the decisive hand, and whether he presses on despite resistance inside his own committee remains the open question.
In a closed-door session of Uganda's ruling party, the executive of the National Resistance Movement is said to have turned against a plan that would pass the presidency from Yoweri Museveni, now 82 and in power since 1986, to his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the army chief. The moment reveals how a long-settled order can begin to strain when the question of who inherits it is finally spoken aloud. Behind the procedural turn lies a wider unease about a son who has shown little patience for restraint, and it is still unclear whether the party's quiet murmurs will harden into a formal answer before 2031.
On a Tuesday, the executive committee of Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement met behind closed doors to settle on a successor to President Yoweri Museveni. According to five people in the room, the name on the table was that of his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the 52-year-old army chief whose influence has grown as his father steps back from daily governance.
The meeting did not go as planned. Several of the committee's 28 members spoke against the designation, and their remarks drew loud applause from others present. A vote was called and then abandoned before it could be completed, with four in favour and three against. The sources describe the plan as rejected by the leadership, though no formal result has been recorded.
Muhoozi has said he will run in the 2031 election. His conduct has unsettled many Ugandans: he is known for flouting the law and for social media posts boasting of torturing opponents. Recent months have brought imprisoned rivals, threats against Bobi Wine, and the forced closure of a leading independent media group for several weeks.
One source said the army chief's combative approach has created unease, and that he should persuade people rather than coerce them. The concern is not new, but the meeting offered a rare glimpse of it voiced in a formal party setting, where it was applauded rather than silenced. The party has not publicly confirmed events, and the coming months will show whether the NRM endorses a successor and whether Museveni pushes ahead regardless.
On Tuesday, the executive committee of Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement met behind closed doors. The agenda, according to five people who were in the room, was to settle on a successor to President Yoweri Museveni. The name on the table was his son's.
The son is Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 52, who heads Uganda's army. He has accumulated large and growing influence as his father, now 82, plays a diminishing part in the daily running of the country. Museveni has been in power since 1986, which makes it nearly four decades of rule, and he has governed with an iron grip. The five sources spoke to AFP on Wednesday.
The meeting did not go as the plan required. Several of the committee's 28 members spoke against designating Muhoozi, and by the sources' account their remarks drew loud cheers from others present. A vote was called, then abandoned before it could be completed. By the time it stopped, four people had voted in favour of the son and three against. The sources describe the plan as rejected by the party's leadership, though the tally was incomplete and no formal result was recorded in what AFP reported.
Muhoozi has said he will run in the next presidential election, scheduled for 2031. His conduct has unsettled many Ugandans. He is known for flouting the law and for inflammatory posts on social media, where he has repeatedly boasted of torturing opponents in his "basement."
The record of recent months is specific. He has had political rivals imprisoned. He has threatened to behead opposition leader Bobi Wine. He also forced the country's leading independent media group to close for several weeks.
That behaviour appears to explain at least part of the resistance inside the party. One of the sources told AFP that the army chief's combative nature has created uneasiness among some people. He is fighting and threatening people on social media, the source said, and should start convincing people instead of using coercive means to force the population to capitulate.
The unease is not new. Many within the NRM have voiced concern at the apparent moves to hand power from father to son. What the Tuesday meeting adds is a glimpse of that concern surfacing in a formal party setting, where it was applauded rather than silenced.
The account rests on anonymous sources, and the party has not publicly confirmed what happened. What to watch next is whether the NRM formally endorses any successor, and whether Museveni presses ahead with his plan despite resistance inside his own executive committee as 2031 approaches.
Notable Quotes
The combative nature of the army chief has created uneasiness among some people; he should convince people rather than use coercive means.— One of five party sources speaking to AFP
Want the full story?
Read the original at Daily Trust ↗