A section of youth aligned to Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has called for a major shift in the country’s political leadership structure, urging President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to appoint Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as Vice President in the 2026-2031 cabinet.
The appeal, made on May 18, 2026, was presented during a press briefing held at Kati Kati Restaurant in Kampala by members of the NRM Revolutionary Network (NRN), a youth grouping within the ruling party.
The activists framed their proposal as part of a broader call for structured succession planning in Uganda’s political system.
They argued that elevating Muhoozi Kainerugaba to the vice presidency would help strengthen government efforts to combat corruption while also reinforcing stability at the highest levels of leadership.
The move would signal deliberate preparation for an eventual political transition within the ruling establishment.
NRN member Ivan Mwijukye told reporters that many young cadres within the movement believe Uganda has reached a point where discussions about succession can no longer be delayed or treated as sensitive political taboo, and that Gen Muhoozi can no longer be ignored.
He said the absence of clear planning risks creating uncertainty in future governance arrangements.
Mwijukye added that leadership decisions should be guided by foresight, arguing that avoiding open debate on transition only postpones challenges that will eventually have to be addressed. He said the youth group’s position reflects growing concern among younger party supporters about long-term political continuity.
The proposal places Muhoozi Kainerugaba at the centre of an evolving conversation about influence within both Uganda’s military and political structures.
Supporters within the NRN say his profile has steadily expanded beyond defence leadership into broader questions of national governance and executive responsibility.
They point to his role as Chief of Defence Forces and his leadership of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) as evidence of a leader already operating at the intersection of security and politics.
They also cite his public anti-corruption messaging and internal disciplinary actions within the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) as signs of an assertive command approach focused on accountability and institutional discipline.
THE RISE AND RISE OF GEN MUHOOZI KAINERUGABA
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s military career has been marked by a steady and often closely watched rise through Uganda’s Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), shaped by early entry into the force, rapid promotions, and high-profile command appointments.
Muhoozi joined the military around 1999 after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, beginning his commissioned service as a second lieutenant shortly thereafter.
From the outset, his trajectory was unusually fast compared to many peers, drawing attention within military and political circles.
In the early 2000s, Muhoozi continued building his profile through further military education and staff training, including advanced courses abroad such as at Fort Leavenworth in the United States.
These postings were widely framed as part of grooming for senior command roles within a modernising UPDF. His assignments during this period helped position him within elite operational structures rather than conventional infantry career pathways, accelerating his exposure to strategic military planning.
By the 2000s and early 2010s, he had begun to assume more visible leadership roles, most notably within the Presidential Guard Brigade and later the Special Forces Command (SFC).
As commander of SFC, he oversaw a unit responsible for presidential security and sensitive national installations, a role considered among the most powerful in the UPDF hierarchy.
His tenure in this position marked a decisive stage in his rise, placing him at the centre of Uganda’s most politically significant military structures.
In September 2011, Muhoozi was promoted to colonel, followed by elevation to brigadier general in 2012, a rapid progression that drew significant public debate about the pace of his advancement.
His rise to brigadier in just over a decade of service was significantly faster than the institutional average within the UPDF. The army, however, consistently maintained that his promotions were based on merit, training, and operational performance.
His upward trajectory continued when he was promoted to major general and later lieutenant general in 2019. During this phase, he alternated between senior advisory roles and command responsibilities, including serving as Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations.
These roles expanded his influence beyond conventional command structures, embedding him within strategic decision-making at the highest levels of Uganda’s security apparatus.
In June 2021, he was appointed Commander of the UPDF Land Forces, one of the most significant operational commands in the army, before later transitioning to other senior defence roles.
This appointment was widely interpreted as further consolidation of his standing within the military hierarchy, placing him in charge of large-scale ground operations and reinforcing his position as one of the most senior serving officers in the UPDF.
By 2024, Muhoozi reached the apex of his military career when he was appointed Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the highest professional position in the UPDF.
In this role, he assumed overall command of Uganda’s armed forces, formalising a long ascent through nearly every key level of military leadership.
In recent political developments, Muhoozi is involved in internal political dynamics surrounding parliamentary leadership contests, particularly the speakership race for 2026 through his Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).
These discussions have portrayed him as a key influential figure within the ruling establishment’s mobilisation efforts, although official military statements generally frame his role as strictly advisory and security-focused rather than political.
Separately, he has been associated in public discourse with a hardline anti-corruption. He is currently in charge of Operation Maliza Ufisadi, a crackdown against corrupt officials that has seen searches on the homes of Anita Among and seizure of her Rolls Royce.
Muhoozi’s current Maliza Ufisadi Operation is investigating Anita Among, who sources say was plotting to impeach or remove Museveni in 2031, as detailed HERE.
A section of MPs have previously proposed the appointment of Muhoozi as vice president, even as other proposed names like Norbert Mao for the second most important job. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
You can read how appointing Muhoozi Vice President would be the final phase of ‘Muhoozi Project’ HERE.
