In Summary: Secretary General Richard Todwong dismissed reports of a disagreement during a November 10 closed-door Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting as “completely false”, following an AFP report citing five sources who claimed senior party members opposed the proposal.
Kampala, Uganda — The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has vehemently denied rejecting a proposal to position Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as President Yoweri Museveni’s successor ahead of the 2031 presidential elections.
NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong dismissed reports that the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) had rejected the proposal during a closed-door meeting on November 10, describing the claims as “completely false”.
In a press statement released on Friday, November 12, 2026, after reports making rounds all over the internet, Todwong said the CEC routinely convenes to discuss issues concerning the country’s political, social and economic well-being, insisting that the party would communicate any decisions through its official channels.
“In the story, the author claimed that the NRM party rejected a bid to position General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as Uganda’s next president. That story is completely false,” Todwong stated.
He added that the party would officially communicate any resolutions reached on matters discussed by its leadership. “Therefore, the Party will officially communicate through the right channel, at the right time, any decision it will have reached on any matter,” he said.
Todwong also urged the public to disregard online reports that had not been officially released by the party.
The NRM’s statement followed an AFP report, subsequently circulated by international media outlets including CGTN Africa, claiming that senior party members had opposed a proposal to position Muhoozi as Museveni’s successor.
The report, citing five people who allegedly attended the November 10 closed-door CEC meeting, said the proposal was discussed, but a vote on Muhoozi’s candidacy was abandoned after several members raised objections.
According to the report, some members questioned Muhoozi’s readiness to lead the country and expressed concerns about his conduct, particularly his controversial statements on social media.
The report also claimed that four members initially supported the proposal while three opposed it before the process was halted.
Among the alleged objections was a suggestion attributed to one NRM Second National Vice Chairperson (names withheld), who reportedly advised Museveni to consider withdrawing his son from active military service and assigning him a civilian role to gain broader leadership experience.
However, Todwong’s statement did not provide details of the discussions held during the meeting or explicitly confirm whether Muhoozi’s succession featured on the agenda. It instead disputed the claim that the party had rejected the proposal.
Muhoozi’s 2031 ambitions hanging in balance
The latest controversy has renewed attention on succession discussions within the ruling party, particularly following public declarations by Muhoozi’s supporters about his possible presidential ambitions.
In September 2026, Kasambya County MP and Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) official Daudi Kabanda announced that Muhoozi intended to contest the 2031 presidential election, saying the general had instructed him to communicate the decision.
Muhoozi, who serves as Chief of Defence Forces, also heads the PLU, a political pressure group whose activities have increasingly featured in discussions about Uganda’s political future.
The succession debate also follows an October 27, 2026 CEC meeting at State House Entebbe, after which conflicting accounts emerged over whether Museveni had presented his son as a possible successor.
Kabanda claimed Museveni had endorsed Muhoozi during the meeting, but NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi disputed the account, saying succession had not been discussed and that the meeting had instead considered the status of PLU.
Museveni has been in power since 1986, making the question of succession an increasingly prominent subject in discussions about the country’s political future.
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