Kasambya Member of Parliament and one of the leaders of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), Daudi Kabanda, has announced that Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba will run for president of Uganda in the 2031 elections.
Kabanda made the announcement on Tuesday at the PLU offices in Nakasero, Kampala, saying he was delivering the message on behalf of Gen. Muhoozi.
“I am here once again to inform you that Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has informed me that he is going to run for president of Uganda,” he announced.
Kabanda also said the decision for Gen. Muhoozi to enter the presidential race had been sanctioned by President Yoweri Museveni.
“I must tell you also that this has been sanctioned by His Excellency the President,” he said.
He sought to allay concerns about a possible conflict between President Museveni and his son, saying there was no disagreement between the two and that Gen. Muhoozi’s political journey had now begun.
“There’s no conflict between the two, so the journey has started now. We want to hear enthusiasm on the ground,” Kabanda said.
Gen. Kainerugaba, 52, is President Museveni’s son and currently serves as the Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). He is also the chairman of the PLU.
The announcement comes after the PLU gained prominence following celebrations of Gen. Muhoozi’s 48th birthday, popularly known as MK@48, when his supporters organised a large event at Lugogo in Kampala.
The birthday celebrations marked a significant moment in Gen. Muhoozi’s emergence in Uganda’s political arena, with his supporters subsequently calling on him to contest the 2026 presidential election.
However, Gen. Muhoozi later declined calls to run in 2026 and instead rallied his supporters to support President Museveni.
With the latest announcement, the PLU leadership has shifted its focus to the 2031 presidential election, setting the stage for a potentially significant political contest around Gen. Muhoozi’s candidacy.
