Uganda Army Chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba Announces 2031 Presidential Bid

Uganda's military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced on social media that he will run for the presidency in the 2031 elections. The 52-year-old son of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni claimed he expects to secure 90% of the vote with his father's support, naming the president as his campaign manager.

Kainerugaba, who leads the Patriotic League of Uganda, previously withdrew from the January 2026 elections to support his father's seventh term. He is credited with securing that victory through internet shutdowns and crackdowns on political opponents. While Kainerugaba has declared his bid, government spokesman Alan Kasujja stated that the decision on whether President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will seek another term will be made by the president and the National Resistance Movement when the time comes.

The announcement has triggered a succession battle within the first family. Kainerugaba faces a challenge from his brother-in-law, Odrek Rwabwogo, a reformer who advocates for the rule of law and free communication. Tensions have escalated as Kainerugaba labeled Rwabwogo's economic think tank, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development, an illegal organization and claimed to have kidnapped Rwabwogo's personal aide.

This internal power struggle unfolds in a suppressed political environment. Main opposition leader Bobi Wine has fled to the United States, and Kizza Besigye remains imprisoned on treason charges, leaving the path to power largely confined to the ruling family.