For four decades, Uganda has been governed by General Yoweri Museveni a 40-year tenure defined less by genuine democratic governance and more by the systematic consolidation of personal and military power.
As the aging patriarch approaches the twilight of his rule, a calculated succession project has steadily unfolded. Over the years, his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has been methodically elevated through sensitive military commands, culminating in his appointment as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
Today, a network of political opportunists is attempting to coronate a fresh emperor over the republic by openly endorsing Gen Muhoozi for the 2031 presidency. By championing the political ambitions of a serving military officer while fully aware of what the law dictates, these elites have forfeited their claim to public respect.
The legal framework governing military involvement in Ugandan politics is clear and unambiguous. Article 208(2) of the 1995 Constitution explicitly mandates that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) shall be non-partisan, national in character, patriotic, professional, disciplined, and subordinate to civilian authority.
Furthermore, Section 99 of the UPDF Act strictly prohibits serving military personnel from participating in partisan political activities.
The framers of our Constitution deliberately erected this firewall between the barracks and partisan politics because Uganda’s post-independence history proved that militarized politics inevitably breeds instability and dictatorship.
Attempting to bypass these safeguards by rebranding political mobilization as a civic movement under the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) is an insult to the intelligence of the Ugandan citizenry.
What makes this constitutional breach deeply alarming is the calibre of the individuals leading the charge. In September, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa publicly endorsed Gen Muhoozi for the 2031 presidency, pledging to spearhead signature mobilization drives. Under Article 79(3) of the Constitution, Parliament is specifically mandated to protect the Constitution and promote democratic governance. When the presiding leadership of the legislature normalizes partisan military mobilization, parliamentary oversight collapses.
Similarly, when members of the judiciary or senior legal officers align themselves through subtle endorsement or convenient silence with unconstitutional political projects, public confidence in the impartiality of the courts is severely eroded.
Meanwhile, prominent Kampala tycoons and business leaders have flocked to the PLU secretariat to pledge financial and organizational backing. For many within the commercial elite, these endorsements are purely transactional a calculated bid to secure state contracts, tax favours, unlawful business dealings and political protection at the expense of the rule of law.
This collective capitulation exposes a painful reality: for far too long, Ugandans have extended reverence and social prestige to individuals who deserve no respect. Anyone who disrespects the Constitution disrespects the people of Uganda and tramples upon the foundational values of our republic. By legitimizing lawlessness at the highest levels of society, these elites demonstrate a profound disregard for genuine peace and national harmony.
Fortunately, the Constitution does not leave citizens helpless in the face of elite betrayal.
We know who these individuals are; they occupy our legislative chambers, preside over state institutions, run major enterprises, and sit in the front pews of our places of worship. Under Article 3 of the Constitution, every citizen has the right and duty to defend the supreme law against any person or group seeking to subvert it.
Citizens who do not possess the luxury of a
second home abroad ordinary Ugandans whose lives, livelihoods, and futures are permanently anchored to this soil must stand up before it is too late.
In response to those who sponsor repression and promote impunity, society must adopt a posture of peaceful civic resistance, moral distancing, and social disassociation.
We must isolate individuals who enable state violence and silence dissent, and we must distance ourselves from the hypocrisy of elites who sanitize oppression inside places of worship, for those who trample on human dignity do not worship the God of justice and truth.
Our Nation stability cannot be enforced through the barrel of a gun, nor can it be purchased by compromised legislators and opportunistic business people. Peace will come to us only after we all agree that each one of us has a role to play in restoring dignity and fair justice in our Country.
Author is a social development specialist and CEO Bridge your mind Centre,
Email; [email protected]
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