The National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary flag bearer for Mbale City’s Northern Division, Hudu Hussein Kahandi, has warned organisers of a campaign to endorse Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba for president against sidelining supporters, saying internal divisions could undermine mobilisation efforts.
Hudu’s warning comes ahead of a planned endorsement gathering scheduled for October 24 at Mbale City Cricket Ground, where supporters from Bugisu are expected to rally behind the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) as a potential successor to President Yoweri Museveni.
In a mobilisation statement dated October 15, Hudu alleged that some organisers were excluding individuals from campaign activities to ensure they alone received recognition for the initiative.
“I have heard that some organisers are selfishly sidelining some of you so that they can be counted in this history-making time alone. I beg you, my people, to be alert,” he said.
He urged supporters not to let disagreements with individual organisers discourage them from participating, arguing that the campaign should serve the wider community rather than the interests of a few individuals.
“This is not the time you allow feelings and the selfishness of others to get to you and rob you of taking part in shaping the future of Uganda,” Hudu said.
He described the endorsement campaign as an opportunity for the Bugisu region to secure a place in Uganda’s future political arrangements.
“Endorsing MKM is equal to purchasing a ticket for our area in the future of this country,” he said, referring to Muhoozi by his initials.
Hudu said the political transition had effectively begun and urged supporters to continue backing Muhoozi. He added that President Museveni and his brother, Gen Salim Saleh, would guide them if the current political plan changed.
He also defended the endorsement campaign against criticism that Muhoozi’s position as a serving military officer made his association with partisan political mobilisation contentious.
Hudu argued that Muhoozi had not formally announced presidential ambitions in his capacity as CDF, maintaining that the initiative was being driven by supporters who wanted him to succeed Museveni.
“Muhoozi has never made any official pronouncement as the CDF that he will stand for president or any political statement for that matter. All the media can base on are his social media posts,” he said.
“The endorsement is from Ugandans who want this country to move forward in peace and therefore demand that MK becomes the next president.”
Hudu cited corruption, regional security and Muhoozi’s military experience among the reasons he believes the general should lead Uganda after Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.
He argued that corruption was undermining service delivery and delaying the implementation of government programmes, adding that Muhoozi could help address the problem.
Hudu also pointed to Muhoozi’s involvement in regional security matters, including developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Somalia, as evidence of experience he believes would be important to Uganda’s future leadership.
The planned gathering, described as the Muhoozi Kainerugaba Museveni (MKM) Bugisu Endorsement Launch Baraza, is intended to bring together residents of Northern Division, Mbale City and the wider Bugisu sub-region to discuss the country’s future leadership.
In his statement, Hudu called for peaceful participation, urging residents to view the event as a collective political initiative rather than an opportunity for organisers to advance personal interests.
“Remember, you are not doing this for any organiser but for all of us; for PLU, for MKM, for the continuity of our beloved NRM, for a peaceful Uganda,” he said.
Hudu did not indicate whether Muhoozi would attend the October 24 gathering.
The campaign comes amid ongoing public debate over political succession and the future of the NRM beyond Museveni’s presidency.