PLU Calls for Peaceful Power Transition as Muhoozi 2031 Campaign Gains Momentum

The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) has intensified its mobilisation for Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s projected 2031 presidential bid, describing the campaign as part of what it calls a “peaceful transition of power” in Uganda.

The mobilisation is expected to gain further momentum on October 17, 2026, when PLU holds a Baraza in Ntungamo District, where the organisation says it intends to endorse Gen. Muhoozi as its preferred presidential candidate for 2031 and beyond. PLU’s official calendar lists the Ntungamo Baraza for October 17, with the venue to be confirmed, while local reports have identified Rubare Playground as the planned venue.

The developments come as political discussions around Uganda’s post-2026 leadership begin to emerge, with PLU building grassroots structures around Gen. Muhoozi while some politicians previously associated with the opposition have publicly indicated that they could support President Yoweri Museveni or a successor endorsed by him.

PLU links Muhoozi campaign to 1986 transition

PLU General Secretary Fadil Twalla has framed the organisation’s mobilisation as a peaceful political alternative to the armed struggle that brought the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to power in 1986.

Speaking during mobilisation activities in Ntungamo, Twalla urged Ugandans who did not participate in the five-year armed struggle between 1981 and 1986 to participate in what he described as a peaceful transition of power.

“If you were not able to participate in the revolution of 1986, where people went to the bush and installed peace, now why don't you participate in the peaceful transition of power?” Twalla said.

He said PLU's mobilisation would not be limited to the current political cycle, declaring that the organisation intends to campaign for Gen. Muhoozi in 2031 and beyond.

Twalla also called upon PLU supporters and members of the ruling NRM to work together at grassroots level, describing the two organisations as “one political family” operating under what he called the “Tukopamoja Arrangement.”

Ntungamo Baraza to combine politics with community services

The October 17 gathering is expected to combine political mobilisation with community outreach.

According to PLU, the Baraza will include an anti-corruption campaign, a medical camp and free legal services. Volunteer medical professionals and lawyers affiliated with the organisation are expected to provide services to residents attending the event.

Twalla has urged residents of Ntungamo, the wider western region and PLU supporters from across Uganda to attend the gathering.

The choice of Ntungamo is also being linked to Gen. Muhoozi's family roots in the area.

Moses Mugabe Kahima, the representative for Ruhama East, has been among local leaders mobilising residents for the event. He cited Gen. Muhoozi's ancestral connection to the district as one reason for the expected local support.

“Muhoozi being the grandson of Ntungamo District, we shall immensely mobilise for him and support him,” Kahima said.

Endorsements gather pace

The Ntungamo mobilisation comes against a wider PLU campaign to secure endorsements for Gen. Muhoozi ahead of 2031.

On September 14, PLU announced that five MPs from the Ankole sub-region had formally endorsed Gen. Muhoozi for the presidency in 2031 and beyond.

The legislators are Hon. Amos Kankunda, Hon. Amanya Cohen Kyampene, Hon. Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama, Hon. Boaz Atwijukire and Hon. Zadock Mutekanga, representing constituencies in Rwampara, Igara West, Mbarara South, Katerera and Buhweju respectively.

PLU has also launched a national endorsement campaign and an online platform through which supporters can register their backing for Gen. Muhoozi. The organisation says the campaign is being supported by political leaders, MPs, business figures and other public personalities.

The mobilisation has extended beyond western Uganda. PLU recently handed endorsement books to Peter Ogwang, the State Minister for Sports and MP for Ngariam County, as the organisation expanded its campaign in the Teso sub-region.

Ssebagala signals support for Museveni or his successor

The PLU mobilisation is taking place alongside statements from politicians outside the ruling NRM signalling possible support for the incumbent or a successor backed by him.

Former Kawempe North MP Latif Ssebagala, who says he is now an independent politician after leaving the National Unity Platform (NUP), recently said he would vote for President Museveni in 2031 if Museveni is on the ballot. 

Speaking on Sanyuka TV, Ssebagala said his position is linked to his “Journey for Peace Initiative.” He added that if Museveni does not contest, he would support whoever the President endorses as his preferred successor.

Ssebagala specifically mentioned Gen. Muhoozi as a possible successor he would support if Museveni selected him.

“If he chooses First son, Gen Muhoozi, I will vote for him,” Ssebagala said.

Ssebagala questions opposition strategy

Ssebagala also used his remarks to question the current direction of Uganda's opposition politics.

He argued that dissatisfaction with the government should not automatically be interpreted as support for opposition parties and pointed to the NRM's continued grassroots presence as evidence that the ruling party retains significant political support.

He further questioned whether the opposition currently has a politician capable of taking power from the NRM, saying that opposition parties should reassess whether their strategies and political messages are addressing the concerns of Ugandans.

His comments add another dimension to the emerging 2031 debate, in which political alignments are already beginning to take shape despite the election being several years away.

PLU-NRM relationship

PLU's campaign also highlights the organisation's relationship with the NRM.

While PLU presents itself as a political movement focused on patriotism, unity, service and accountability, its leadership has repeatedly stressed cooperation with the ruling NRM. The organisation's official platform describes its mission around national unity, patriotism, integrity, accountability and service to Uganda.

Twalla has consequently urged supporters of both organisations to coordinate their mobilisation efforts, describing their relationship as a political family.

The development comes after PLU began expanding its national structures and endorsement campaign following the 2026 elections, with the organisation increasingly positioning Gen. Muhoozi at the centre of its political activities ahead of 2031.

A political transition debate taking shape

The emerging campaign places the question of succession at the centre of Uganda's political conversation several years before the 2031 presidential election.

For PLU, the proposed transition is being presented as a peaceful political process, with Twalla contrasting it with the armed struggle of the early 1980s.

At the same time, statements by figures such as Ssebagala indicate that some politicians formerly associated with opposition politics are already publicly discussing possible support for Museveni or a successor backed by him.

With PLU planning further Barazas and endorsement activities across the country, the organisation's campaign for Gen. Muhoozi is likely to remain part of Uganda's political discourse as parties and political movements begin positioning themselves for the post-2026 period.