Uganda military chief Muhoozi says he will run for president in 2031

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, has announced that he will run for president in 2031, putting his political ambitions at the centre of a long-running succession debate. 

Kainerugaba, 52, made the announcement in a series of posts on X on Tuesday, saying he would seek “the highest office” in the country and predicting a landslide victory with the support of his father.

“With my great father, Mzee’s, support I will get 90% in the elections in 2031,” he wrote, referring to Museveni with the honorific “Mzee”. 

Kainerugaba has for years been regarded as a possible successor to Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986. He also heads the Patriotic League of Uganda, a political pressure group.

He had previously said he would contest the January 2026 presidential election but ultimately withdrew, leaving his father to seek another term. Museveni was re-elected for a seventh term in January. 

Kainerugaba has built a reputation for outspoken and sometimes inflammatory posts on social media, including past threats against opposition leader Bobi Wine.

He also played a prominent role in the campaign surrounding his father’s latest election victory, including a crackdown on opposition supporters and an internet shutdown during the polls, according to Reuters. 

Museveni, 81, has not said whether he will seek another term when his current mandate ends. Government spokesman Alan Kasujja told Reuters that Museveni and his ruling National Resistance Movement would make that decision “when the time comes”. 

Uganda’s opposition remains under pressure. Bobi Wine left the country for the United States earlier this year, saying he feared for his safety, while veteran opposition politician Kizza Besigye has been detained since 2024 and is facing treason charges.

Critics have accused Museveni’s government of human rights abuses, including torture, abductions and arbitrary detention. The government has denied the allegations. 

GAROWE ONLINE