The alliance between the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) could come under fresh strain after a senior PLU official warned that the ruling party should not take the coalition for granted.
David Kabanda, Head of the Office of the Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda and a PLU official identified as PO 005, says the cooperation between the two political formations was built around a shared commitment to supporting NRM candidates during the 2026 General Elections.
Kabanda, also Kasambya MP (NRM) says the arrangement was reached after PLU Chairman Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba guided the group to formally work with the NRM through what became known as the TUKO PAMOJA alliance.
“When we entered the 2026 General Elections, we as PLU were guided by our Chairman Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Resistance Movement to support NRM candidates from the President down to the village level,” Kabanda said.
According to Kabanda, the alliance produced what he described as a historic electoral victory for the Movement, with President Yoweri Museveni securing about 72 percent of the vote.
“Under the TUKO PAMOJA alliance, we registered a historic 72% victory – a margin the Movement last enjoyed in 1996,” he said.
Kabanda argues that the contribution of young people and PLU supporters to that victory should not be overlooked, particularly by long-serving members of the NRM.
“That victory was delivered by young people and PLU supporters,” he said.
It is at this point that Kabanda turns his attention to some of the NRM’s historical figures, accusing them of failing to recognise the role played by younger supporters in securing the latest victory.
“It therefore puzzles us to see some historicals of the Movement, like Hon. Kahinda Otafiire, failing to appreciate the contribution of the young people and all PLU supporters,” Kabanda said.
The remarks come amid continuing tensions between sections of the NRM establishment and supporters of Gen. Muhoozi, with Kabanda suggesting that the disagreement goes beyond personalities and touches on the principles that PLU says informed its cooperation with the ruling party.
“In our cooperation agreement with NRM, we were clear: the core problem of Uganda is corruption and it must be dealt with decisively,” he said.
Kabanda then questioned why individuals whom he associates with corruption and impunity continue to occupy influential positions in government.
“It bothers us to see figures associated with impunity and arrogance still being protected and given serious responsibilities under the cover of ‘We fought,’” he said.
He followed that argument with a pointed question: “Did they fight to steal?”
Kabanda also invoked President Museveni’s own previous remarks about the contribution of Ugandans who joined the NRM after the original Luwero struggle.
He referred specifically to the President’s remarks during the 2017 Liberation Day celebrations in Masindi.
“On 26th January 2017, while presiding over Liberation Day celebrations in Masindi, H.E the President himself thanked other Ugandans who joined the Movement and noted that if they had not welcomed the Luwero fighters, NRM would not be winning elections, because Luwero fighters alone are not enough to win an election,” Kabanda said.
He argued that the same principle should guide how the NRM treats the younger generation and PLU supporters who participated in the 2026 election campaign.
Kabanda’s strongest warning, however, came at the end of his statement, where he suggested that continued dissatisfaction with the treatment of PLU within the government could force the alliance to be reconsidered.
“If the President does not get rid of these corrupt people like Otafiire from our coalition government, we shall be forced to ask our Chairman to reconsider this coalition with NRM and start our own family,” he said.
Kabanda concluded by stressing that the statement represented his personal position within PLU.
“This is my opinion as a Patriotic officer of PLU,” he said.
Kabanda’s threats come days after Otafiire, the water and environment minister, and Ruhinda MP, refused to apologize to Muhoozi, the first son and military chief, who had even threatened to arrest the bush war general.
Otafiire’s son warned those planning to arrest his father, even as PLU announced plans to hold a rally in Otafiire’s home town. (See Details Here and There).
Kahinda Otafiire himself has made it clear he would rather die fighting that live begging, and has previously explained the problem he has with Muhoozi Here and There.
