Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) communications director Andrew Mwenda has said the organisation can mobilise enough support in Parliament to force Water and Environment Minister Kahinda Otafiire out of Cabinet, amid the fallout between the minister and PLU chairman Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Mr Mwenda claimed that PLU commands the support of hundreds of legislators and could also defeat Mr Otafiire in his Ruhinda County constituency in Mitooma District.
His reaction comes after a dispute between the two figures erupted in early October when Mr Otafiire criticised military officers who engage in violence and political intimidation, with some members of PLU suggesting the Minister had indirectly targeted Gen Muhoozi.
Gen Muhoozi, who is also the Chief of Defence Forces, responded by demanding a public apology from the minister and threatening to have him arrested. The dispute has since drawn other PLU leaders into the confrontation.
Speaking during a recent interview, Mwenda said PLU had the numbers to influence parliamentary decisions and could use that strength to have the minister dropped from Cabinet.
“In that parliament, if we say we want votes, it's a parliament of 529 members. We have about 500 votes. So we can actually cause him to be removed from cabinet,” Mwenda said.
The veteran journalist also threatened that PLU is capable of taking the fight to Mr Otafiire's political stronghold, saying the organisation could defeat him in Ruhinda County.
Mwenda questioned the minister's electoral strength, citing his defeat in the 2016 Ruhinda County parliamentary election by Rtd. Capt. Donozio Kahonda.
“Otafiire is chicken feed for us. We'll just eat him like grasshoppers,” he said.
Mr Mwenda further argued that President Museveni was Mr Otafiire's main remaining source of political support, suggesting that the minister's political network could be dismantled.
It should be noted that while Mwenda says PLU can influence Mr Otafiire's political future, his removal from Cabinet ultimately rests with President Museveni, who appoints ministers.
Mr Otafiire's relationship with President Museveni dates back to the 1970s, when the two worked in opposition to the regime of former president Idi Amin. He later joined the National Resistance Army (NRA) bush war that brought the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to power in 1986, becoming one of the veterans commonly referred to as the Movement's historicals.
Over the years, Mr Museveni has appointed Mr Otafiire to several senior government positions, including Minister of Internal Affairs, Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and Water and Environment. Despite controversies and occasional disagreements within the ruling establishment, Mr Otafiire has remained part of successive governments, reflecting his longstanding association with the President and the NRM.
However, Mr Otafiire has also expressed independent views on political leadership and succession, at times arguing that Uganda's presidency belongs to the people rather than an individual.
His latest confrontation with Gen Muhoozi and PLU has brought renewed attention to tensions between veteran figures in the ruling establishment and a younger political generation associated with the army chief.