PLU supporters won’t contest against NRM flag bearers — Gen. Muhoozi

KAMPALA - As the political fever grips the country ahead of the general elections, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, also the chairperson Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), has stopped PLU supporters from contesting against the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearers.

According to the CDF, PLU is not a registered political party and, therefore, is not fielding any candidates at any level in the coming local government and other elections.

He said he was concerned that some NRM supporters leaning towards PLU, who stood and lost in the just-concluded party primaries, had gone ahead to pick nomination papers claiming to be PLU candidates.

“The general asked me to clarify this matter and let people and the country know that PLU is not a political party, although our Chairman, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is the one leading it.”

“It is not a political party, so there is no one allowed to contest against any NRM flag bearer on an independent basis, but claiming to be leaning towards PLU. We are putting more emphasis on this,” said Bob Kakuru, one of the coordinators of PLU, who also does strategic planning and arrangements for Gen. Muhoozi.

He was addressing mainly NRM supporters, including losers in the recent primaries, at Emerald Hotel Gardens in Kagugube Parish, Kampala.

The event was part of the programme organized to reconcile NRM contestants in Kampala district who participated in the recently concluded party primaries and lost, to persuade them to drop their ambitions of standing in the coming general elections as independents.

It was rolled out under the Office of the President, spearheaded by Kampala Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Hajji Umaru Lule Mawiya, and Senior Special Advisor to the President, Sarah Kanyike.

The meetings started in Mengo parish, Kamwokya, Kagugube, and were scheduled to cover all parishes in the Central division, and later to cover the entire district.

The campaign is also intended to harmonise the contestants who have grievances, mainly those who claim to have lost because they were cheated.

Bob Kakuru

“But for me, I am here on behalf of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. I have brought his message; he wants to be clear to the entire country, but also particularly to the people of Kagugube Parish, about PLU candidates,” Kakuru said.

He said that the main message from the general was that he had received reports that there were supporters who participated in the NRM primaries but lost, and now have picked papers to come as independents, but claiming to be under PLU.

Kanyike said the NRM primaries, unlike in other political parties where candidates are hand-picked, were democratically organised, and added that those who were aggrieved had a right to protest.

“Even President Yoweri Museveni resorted to going to the bush to fight because he saw there was a gap in democracy,” she said.

She said during the primaries, the winners were handed the party flags, but there were many who lost.

“As leaders, we agreed to come up with a programme to reconcile these parties,” she said, adding that in the previous elections, no one bothered to bring back the losers.

She called upon leaders in other areas to pick a leaf from this programme, saying as NRM, it was important to address concerns of all supporters to minimise cases of independents who might affect the flag bearers’ support.

Hajji Mawiya said it was important to meet the disgruntled NRM supporters who lost in the primaries because many were threatening to return as independents in the 2026 general elections.

He said that the initiative aimed at harnessing the gains of the NRM, which he said was stronger than ever before. 

"Losing in a primary does not mean that one's contribution to the party has ended; everyone is important and the party needs him or her,” he explained, adding that Independents weaken the party’s support.

He said so far, the team had received positive response, with several supporters agreeing to stand down and instead support the party flag bearers.

He said in Kagugube, the supporters asked the team to take their message to the President that many were left in the government programmes like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, and wanted capital to boost their money ventures.

He said others said that despite the parish having the President residing in their parish (State Lodge), they lacked basic services like a government health facility.