THEY WANTED TO KILL ME OVER MONEY: Kabanda Speaks Out on Leaving PLU Secretary General Job

KAMPALA — The internal fractures long whispered about inside Uganda’s Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) have now erupted into public view, following the dramatic sacking of Kasambya County Member of Parliament David Kabanda from his position as the pressure group’s General Secretary.

Before Monday’s announcement for the firing of Kabanda, the youthful MP had made allegations of greed, political gatekeeping, and even threats of violence within the PLU in an interview with independent newspaper Daily Monitor.

Kabanda told the daily he had asked Gen Muhoozi to allow him resign his job as PLU Secretary General, citing concerns including on his safety.

His exit was not a quiet departure. Instead, it came with a blistering denunciation of unnamed insiders he accused of exploiting the movement for personal financial gain and manipulating access to its leadership.

“There are some people in PLU who think that I am the one blocking their chances of getting what they want. Many are there for other interests like money—to con people,” Mr Kabanda stated during his exit announcement in his interview with the newspaper.

“They say, ‘You give me money, I take you to Muhoozi,’ but now they see it is Kabanda blocking them. They can even kill you.”

The remarks, particularly the final sentence, sent shockwaves through Uganda’s political circles, hinting at the intensity of internal competition within the civic-turned-political organisation closely associated with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Although Kabanda did not name individuals, his allegations pointed to a deeper struggle over influence, access, and money within a movement that has increasingly positioned itself as both a mobilisation platform and a political power centre.

His resignation triggered a rapid and decisive response from Gen. Muhoozi, the PLU Chairman and Chief of Defence Forces, who by Monday morning confirmed Kabanda’s departure and immediately announced a restructuring of the organisation’s Central Committee. Kabanda was replaced by Tingey County MP Fadil Twalla.

The leadership overhaul comes at a sensitive moment for the PLU, a group that originated as the “MK Movement” before rebranding into its current structure. Initially framed as a civic platform, the PLU has steadily grown into a powerful political force aligned with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), and closely tied to Gen. Muhoozi’s rising political profile.

While PLU leaders maintain that the organisation is non-partisan and focused on civic mobilisation, it is increasingly being described as a strategic political vehicle embedded within Uganda’s succession politics.

Its rapid expansion, particularly into parliamentary and cabinet structures, has only deepened those perceptions.

In his statement announcing the restructuring, Gen. Muhoozi framed the changes not as a crisis response, but as part of a deliberate evolution of the organisation’s internal governance.

“In the next few months, I will appoint a new membership of the Central Committee of PLU. We achieved what we set out for with the previous team. The new challenges that face us need a fresh team,” Gen. Muhoozi announced.

The reshuffle went further than Kabanda’s replacement. It expanded PLU’s leadership base by incorporating senior political and government figures, effectively tightening the link between the movement and state institutions.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa were appointed as “special envoys to Parliament,” a move that blurs the distinction between party mobilisation and formal state roles.

Other appointments included Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Kiryowa Kiwanuka as Vice Chairman for Buganda, Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze, and newly appointed Trade Minister Sanjay Tanna, who will represent the business community.

It appears that the growing overlap between PLU leadership and state office holders reflects a broader consolidation of political authority around Gen. Muhoozi’s network, raising questions about the future balance between party structures and civic mobilisation groups.

Despite the controversy surrounding Kabanda’s departure and his allegations of corruption and internal extortion, Gen. Muhoozi moved swiftly to contain the fallout.

He directed PLU National Vice Chairperson Michael Nuwagira (Toyota) to organise a formal handover between Kabanda and his successor, Mr Twalla, insisting that all PLU-aligned ministers and Members of Parliament attend.

The directive signals an effort to maintain discipline and cohesion within a movement that has increasingly become central to Uganda’s political architecture.

Gen. Muhoozi also used the moment to reiterate the PLU’s strategic alignment with the ruling NRM and its developmental agenda, linking the organisation’s mission directly to national economic ambitions.

“PLU’s strategic alliance with NRM is based on achieving results for our people. Our members in the cabinet and parliament must follow the President’s instructions to return to the grassroots and effectively monitor government programmes,” Gen. Muhoozi stated. “Our task as PLU is to achieve Mzee’s target of a $500 billion GDP by 2031! I will supervise ALL government departments to achieve that goal.”

The statement underscores the increasingly ambitious scope of the PLU’s self-assigned mandate, extending beyond mobilisation into economic oversight and governance monitoring—roles traditionally associated with state institutions.

There have been fears that the PLU would eventually clash with Uganda’s established NRM structures if it does not continue to merge seamlessly into them.

The latest reshuffle suggests the latter, with the movement increasingly functioning as an extension of the ruling establishment rather than a parallel force.

Yet beneath the formal announcements and restructuring lies a more volatile narrative—one of internal rivalry, contested influence, and allegations of financial gatekeeping at the highest levels of political mobilisation.

While Kabanda has not been removed entirely from the PLU Central Committee, his demotion to ordinary membership signals a significant fall from influence. His public accusations, particularly his warning that “They can even kill you,” have added a layer of tension to what is otherwise being presented as an organisational renewal.

For now, the PLU appears outwardly stable, even expanding. But Kabanda’s resignation has peeled back the curtain on a political ecosystem where access, loyalty, and money intersect in increasingly opaque ways.

Recently, Kabanda cried out saying there were people who wanted to kill him over operation against Anita Among, but Muhoozi calmed his fears with assurances of security, as reported Here.

See newly appointed PLU CEC members and those who were retained as Muhoozi shook PLU leadership Here and There.