Senior leaders of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) have reportedly rejected a proposal to endorse Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s successor, exposing divisions within the party over its future leadership.
The disagreement emerged during a closed-door meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) at State House, Entebbe, on Tuesday, November 10, according to five participants who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The meeting reportedly abandoned a proposed vote on Muhoozi’s candidacy after several members challenged the idea, drawing loud applause from other participants.
Of the 28 CEC members, only seven had voted before the process was halted. Four supported the proposal, while three opposed it, according to the participants.
Some members reportedly questioned Muhoozi’s suitability for the presidency, pointing to his controversial social media statements and confrontational exchanges with political opponents.
One participant told AFP that the army chief’s conduct online had unsettled some senior party officials.
“The combative nature of the (army chief) has created uneasiness among some people. He is fighting and threatening people on social media,” the participant said.
The source added that Muhoozi should seek public support through persuasion rather than intimidation.
NRM Second National Vice Chairperson Calvin Echodu reportedly advised President Museveni to retire his son from the military and assign him a civilian role to gain political and administrative experience.
Echodu also reportedly urged the President to contest the 2031 general election, arguing that Muhoozi was not yet prepared to assume the country’s highest office.
The reported opposition marks an unusual challenge to President Museveni’s succession arrangements within a party he has led since taking power in 1986.
Muhoozi, 52, has publicly expressed interest in contesting the 2031 presidential election and enjoys support from the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a political pressure group campaigning for his leadership.
His possible succession has, however, generated disagreements within the ruling establishment.
The latest developments follow an October 27 CEC meeting at State House, where President Museveni reportedly presented a paper outlining the qualities he considers necessary for Uganda’s next leader.
In the document, the President reportedly referred to his son’s military experience and leadership record, inviting party members to discuss his suitability for the presidency.
Museveni was quoted as acknowledging that Muhoozi’s social media posts worried some people because they departed from conventional political communication.
Following that meeting, Kasambya County MP Daudi Kabanda, a prominent PLU figure, announced on X that the President had endorsed his son.
However, NRM Electoral Commission chairman Tanga Odoi subsequently disputed claims that the party had discussed succession as a formal agenda item.
The latest reported meeting suggests that the question remains unresolved, with senior party members apparently divided over whether Muhoozi should take over from his father or gain experience outside the military before pursuing political leadership.
President Museveni, 82, has governed Uganda for four decades and has not formally announced a successor.
The NRM and State House had not publicly confirmed the reported outcome of Tuesday’s deliberations at the time of publication.
