Uganda’s President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has spoken out on his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s rumored 2026 presidential bid, describing him as ‘a good general’ whom voters will make a choice on.
Museveni has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades since 1986 when he took over following a five-year bush war that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands mostly in the Luweero Triangle. Museveni turned 78 years old last months. He has spent nearly a half of his life in power, heading Uganda as her president.
Last year, Museveni beat National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine to win another five-year term ending in 2026. At the end of his current term, Museveni will have ruled Uganda for a cool four decades and he will be 82 years old.
It is not clear whether Museveni will seek another term in 2026 but his former strategist Andrew Mwenda has previously said Museveni will run for president as long as he is not dead.
Minister Norbert Mao recently revealed the year Museveni has reportedly agreed to peacefully hand over power. But events of the past months point to the likelihood that Gen Muhoozi could run for president sooner than most people expected.
When he turned 48 years old in April 2022, Muhoozi organized birthday parties across the country. The celebrations were crowned by a State House dinner Museveni hosted in honour of his son.
Months later, Muhoozi would be fired as the Commander of UPDF Land Forces following a Twitter storm over ‘Nairobi Capture’ tweets. But Museveni promoted his son to the rank of general, the highest in the UPDF.
Muhoozi retained his job as his father’s senior advisor on special operations. In his speech after handing over office to his successor Lt Gen Apollo Muhanga Kayanja and after being decorated as a full general of the UPDF, Muhoozi revealed his next mission.
Days earlier, Muhoozi had made a shocking revelation on his plan to succeed his father as president in 2026 as we reported
But what does Museveni, Muhooz’s father think about his son’s rumored presidential ambition and his 2026 bid? Does the president support his son’s bid to succeed him as head of state and government? Would he endorse him for president? These are some of the questions KTN News reporter Sophia Wanuna put to Museveni in a recent interview.
In response, Museveni did not categorically reveal if he would advise his son to stand for president in 2026 or later, or if he supports Muhoozi’s political ambitions at all. Museveni reiterated his previous position on the matter, saying Ugandan voters will decide on who should replace him to rule Uganda when the time for him to retire comes.
“Ugandan leaders are not elected by Twitter,” said Museveni. “When the time comes to vie, the people will audit Gen Muhoozi and if they find him a ‘ticking time-bomb,’ they will make their decision.”
On leaders not being elected on Twitter, Museveni is to some extent right. Months ago, Ugandans were shocked after Muhoozi lost his own Twitter poll in which he asked his followers on whether he should run for president in 2026 or not.
But Muhoozi recently said he would beat Bobi Wine and that the singer-turned-politician will never be allowed to become Uganda’s President.
He also claimed that he would thoroughly beat the opposition in a presidential election. “To the Ugandan opposition, after my father, I will defeat you badly in any election. Ugandans love me more than they’ll ever love you,” tweeted Muhoozi. Back to Museveni on Muhoozi’s 2026 presidential bid, the president made it clear he would support a member of ruling NRM party to succeed him, and that the party in power will choose his successor when the time comes for him to quit.
“I am a member of the NRM, I go with what it decides. I don’t decide on behalf of but I decide with the NRM,” the president added. He went on to describe his ideal successor, listing the attributes he or she should have to win his and the NRM’s endorsement.
“We are not after ‘who’ but ‘what’ first. The ‘what’ will determine the ‘who’ we pick as choice of a leader,” explained Gen Museveni. “Anyone who wants leadership will be accessed on the four principles [commitment to Patriotism, Pan Africanism, Democracy, and promotion of socio-economic transformation].”
He also praised his son as “a very good officer with army things” whose careless tweets and other mistakes should not blind Ugandans to his great contribution to the UPDF and his nation. The president emphasized: “If someone is good at something but makes a mistake in something else, you try to manage it. My son Muhoozi is a good general; though the army has got all sorts of problems, corruption..”
Last week, Museveni apologized to Kenyans on behalf of his son and also explained why he promoted the 48-year-old son to the rank of general.
Regarding the succession question, a prophet who accurately predicted William Ruto’s presidential victory has released his ‘Next King of Uganda’ revealing the person God has reportedly chosen to take over from Museveni as Uganda’s next president.
