Former NRM Kampala Region vice-chairperson Singh Katongole says the ruling party risks losing political visibility as Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s PLU expands grassroots mobilisation and gathers endorsements for a possible 2031 presidential bid.
Former National Resistance Movement (NRM) vice-chairperson for Kampala Region Singh Katongole has warned that the ruling party risks being overshadowed by the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), questioning its visibility and future direction as the pressure group intensifies political mobilisation ahead of the 2031 presidential election.
Speaking on NBS Television’s Morning Breeze, hosted by Simon Kaggwa Njala, Katongole urged President Museveni to clarify the relationship between the two organisations, saying uncertainty over the NRM’s future leadership was becoming a concern among party members.
“There is a storm. It may not be within the party itself, but there is some entity somewhere that is bringing the storm into the party. It’s the PLU that is bringing this storm into the party,” Katongole said.
He argued that the growing prominence of PLU was shifting political attention away from the NRM, which has governed Uganda since 1986, and raising questions about whether the ruling party was maintaining sufficient activity between elections.
“Personally, I haven’t seen any activity of the party since the elections ended,” he said.
Katongole contrasted what he described as the NRM’s inactivity with PLU’s mobilisation efforts, saying the latter was originally intended to complement the ruling party rather than compete with it for political attention.
“It’s supposed to be a complementary force to the NRM party. That’s what it was originally,” he said.
He warned that established NRM leaders should be concerned if supporters increasingly viewed PLU as the more active platform for political engagement.
“If you are thinking straight, you should be worried. But if you are living in a delusion, you might not realise this worry,” Katongole said.
Museveni Urged To Clarify NRM’s Future
The former party official said uncertainty surrounding the NRM’s succession plans was compounding the problem, particularly as PLU supporters rallied behind Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the President’s son and Chief of Defence Forces, in a growing campaign to endorse him for the 2031 presidency.
Katongole argued that the NRM already had established structures for choosing leaders, including party conferences, but questioned why its leadership had not adequately communicated its plans for the next political phase.
He singled out the party secretariat, saying its perceived silence was surprising given the concerns being raised by members.
For Katongole, Museveni remains the central figure capable of resolving the uncertainty.
“Museveni has to come and clarify what the plans are,” he said. “Museveni is silent and the NRM party will just wait for Museveni to speak.”
He added that conversations among senior party figures suggested that concerns about the NRM’s direction extended beyond public debate, although he did not identify those involved.
However, the NRM has continued to undertake organisational activities following the 2026 elections. On October 8, the party announced that its secretariat leadership had concluded a four-day retreat in Kiruhura District to strengthen internal cohesion, review mobilisation strategies and formulate its political direction for the 2026–2031 period.
The retreat focused on cadre identification, recruitment, internal discipline and improving the secretariat’s performance, indicating that the party was undertaking organisational planning even as Katongole questioned its public visibility.
PLU’s Growing Political Profile
PLU, chaired by Gen Kainerugaba, has been expanding its grassroots structures and organising activities in support of his potential 2031 presidential bid.
On September 14, the organisation announced that a delegation of MPs from the Ankole sub-region had endorsed Kainerugaba for the presidency. Similar mobilisation has taken place elsewhere, including Pader District, where PLU leaders began organising local structures and gathering support in early October.
The activities have intensified debate about the relationship between PLU and the NRM, particularly whether the two organisations can maintain distinct roles within the ruling political establishment.
PLU has, however, publicly rejected suggestions that it intends to become an independent political party. On September 6, its spokesperson, Andrew Mwenda, said the organisation would remain a civic organisation, pressure group and social movement operating within the NRM framework.
The position leaves open the political question raised by Katongole: how the NRM will manage an increasingly visible organisation mobilising support around a potential successor to Museveni while remaining within the ruling party’s structures.
Katongole said he had personally faced pressure from people urging him to participate in the endorsement exercise, adding that the growing involvement of young people was something established NRM figures could not afford to ignore.
“The youth are the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
Despite his concerns, Katongole maintained that Museveni retained significant influence among supporters and could shape the direction of events by addressing the uncertainty surrounding the party’s future.
“If Mzee comes out and speaks, I know the scales can be tipped,” he said.
His remarks raise questions about the NRM’s post-election mobilisation, its relationship with PLU and the management of future leadership ambitions within the ruling establishment.
For Katongole, the central concern is that without clear communication and direction from the party leadership, the NRM risks allowing PLU to dominate political mobilisation and public attention within the very political movement it was established to complement.