Supporters of Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba say they have collected 6.4 million signatures endorsing his potential presidential bid in 2031, as the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) intensifies its nationwide mobilisation.
The reported figure comes amid a signature collection campaign launched by the PLU, which is chaired by Gen. Kainerugaba, to build support for his proposed bid to succeed his father, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The group previously announced a target of collecting 20 million signatures, with endorsement registers distributed across the country and an online platform established to widen participation.
However, the figure of 6.4 million signatures was contained in social media information supplied for this report and could not be independently verified from the available sources.
In a post on X on Thursday, Gen. Kainerugaba directed PLU members to stop debating a recent paper presented to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee and instead concentrate on collecting endorsements.
“I hereby order all PLU members to stop discussing Mzee’s paper delivered to the NRM CEC recently. Leave these matters to me and Mzee. Focus on the endorsements from the people,” he wrote.
The reference to “Mzee” is understood to mean President Museveni, who is also the NRM national chairman.
The directive places the endorsement exercise at the centre of the group’s current activities as discussions about the ruling party’s future leadership continue.
The army chief also announced plans to establish a women’s wing within the PLU, saying women were among the organisation’s strongest supporters.
“Some of the strongest supporters of PLU are women. They are fearless fighters. I have decided to form a Women’s League of PLU. I shall announce the chairwoman soon,” he said in another post on X.
Gen. Kainerugaba also praised PLU supporters for what he described as their courage, claiming they had helped defeat the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), which he referred to as “terrorists”. His characterisation was not accompanied by evidence in the post.
The mobilisation drive has drawn attention because Gen. Kainerugaba remains Uganda’s serving Chief of Defence Forces. The role of active-duty military officers in overt political mobilisation has raised questions about the boundaries between military service and partisan politics.
PLU leaders have previously said the current exercise is intended to collect public endorsements rather than constitute a formal presidential campaign. They have indicated that Gen. Kainerugaba would have to leave the military before launching a formal campaign.
Gen. Kainerugaba announced in August that he intended to contest the presidency in 2031. His potential candidacy comes as the NRM faces questions about succession after President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.
The claimed 6.4 million endorsements would represent a substantial step towards PLU’s stated target, if verified. The group has not, in the material available for this report, provided independently verified records showing how the signatures were collected or validated.
