KAMPALA — The presidential security detail attached to Hadijah Namyalo, the manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has reportedly been withdrawn amid a public dispute involving her political mobilisation activities and supporters of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Reports that Police Presidential Guard (PPG) officers assigned to Namyalo had been withdrawn emerged on Tuesday, a day after her Bugisu team publicly endorsed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for continued leadership beyond 2031.
However, there has been no official statement from the Uganda Police Force or the Presidency confirming the withdrawal or explaining the reason for the reported change in her security arrangements.
The development comes amid increasingly visible political activity around the question of Uganda’s leadership after 2031.
On Sunday, members of the ONC Bugisu team displayed banners supporting Museveni’s continued leadership beyond 2031 during the national World Tourism Day celebrations in Mbale, where the President was the chief guest.
Chris Buyela, who represented the Bugisu ONC team and Namyalo, said the endorsement reflected the group’s assessment of Museveni’s contribution to development and programmes targeting young people.
The position, however, drew criticism from leaders of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), which is conducting a nationwide campaign to collect endorsements for Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba ahead of the 2031 presidential election.
PLU General Secretary Fadil Twalla publicly addressed Namyalo, saying the group had previously worked with the NRM under what he described as a Tuko Pamoja arrangement.
Twalla said PLU now intends to mobilise support for Kainerugaba, while Museveni would remain involved in that campaign.
He accused Namyalo’s team of conducting what he described as “unsanctioned” endorsement activities and urged her to stop what he characterised as attempts to provoke PLU supporters.
Other PLU figures also criticised Namyalo. Daudi Kabanda, who heads the PLU Chairman’s Office, posted: “Namyalo please Stop it.”
The disagreement comes against the backdrop of PLU’s nationwide mobilisation for Kainerugaba. The organisation launched its endorsement drive earlier this month and has been distributing endorsement books across the country. The Daily Monitor reported that PLU was targeting 20 million signatures for Kainerugaba’s 2031 presidential bid.
PLU’s own recent updates show the campaign expanding across different regions, including Sebei, Ankole, Bunyoro and Masaka.
The reported withdrawal of Namyalo’s security detail has therefore become another point of interest in the emerging succession debate, although no official source has established a direct connection between the security change and the disagreement over the 2031 endorsements.
Namyalo heads the ONC, which is responsible for coordinating NRM mobilisation and grassroots activities, while PLU describes itself as a civic organisation pursuing its political agenda within the NRM.
The competing mobilisation efforts have brought into public view differing positions among actors associated with the ruling movement over how leadership after 2031 should be approached.
