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Following the appointment of key Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) central executive committee members to new strategic roles and positions to serve in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government under president Yoweri Museveni last month, the social movement has announced changes.

President Yoweri Museveni appointment PLU chairperson Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and their vice-chairperson Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Youth and Children Affairs), respectively.

To plug the gap, PLU national spokesperson and seasoned journalist Andrew Mwenda has announced new political appointments within PLU.

“The acting chairperson for PLU is now Micheal Nuwagira aka Toyota replacing Gen. Kainerugaba. Nuwagira has been serving on the central executive committee (CEC) as just a member. He takes over the role of our ‘inactive chairperson’ who is on special assignments as CDF in the UPDF,” Mwenda said Monday, April 15, 2024, evening.

This is a sensitive position charged with crafting strategies aimed at spearheading day-to-day engagements to fulfil the objectives of forming PLU organisation in a broader sense, he said.

“We have appointed the Igara East Member of Parliament Michael Maranga Mawanda as the new director mobilisation,” he said.

"David Kabanda shall be serving as the general secretary for PLU, Edwin Karugire as the director legal affairs for PLU, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi as the vice-chairperson western region, Micheal Katungi as the director external affairs to carry the goals of its formation forward," Mwenda added.

We shall sponsor candidates who share PLU objectives

Since its inception as a civic organisation whose aim is to promote the interests of Ugandans who believe in stability, peace, economic transformation and seeking to end corruption, many supporters of Kainerugaba were left stranded without any focus.

Mwenda revealed in an exclusive interview that under new arrangements, PLU seeks to sponsor candidates to run for political office in the 2021 general elections.

“You can be a PLU member and run for office in 2026. You can run for office in that sense under the NRM for PLU as an individual, as an independent candidate or even as an Opposition candidate as long as you share our aspirations, vision, objectives and goals,” he said.

They may be independent, they may be NRM, they can even be National Unity Platform (NUP) or Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), as long as they share our vision and objectives, Mwenda noted.

Other key leaders in PLU, include vice-chairperson central region Frank Gashumba, vice-chairperson northern region Lilian Aber, deputy spokesperson David Kabanda, co-ordinator Teso Peter Ogwang, Haruna Kasolo representing Greater Masaka, Fadil Twalla for Sebei, Shadrack Nzeire coordinating Ankole, and Tamale Mirundi as the Deputy Spokesperson Buganda region.

The league was launched on February 7, 2024 to fulfil its objectives among others instilling patriotism, nationalism and fighting corruption that has faced Uganda for many years running.