Gen Kainerugaba declares 2031 presidential bid as PLU returns to grassroots

• Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba says he will contest for Uganda’s presidency in 2031.

• He had previously been touted for the 2026 race but withdrew and backed President Museveni.

• PLU has resumed grassroots mobilisation, starting with a post-election baraza in Kyegegwa.

• The declaration puts a clear timeline on Muhoozi’s long-running presidential ambitions.

The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has declared that he will run for president in 2031, reviving his long-standing ambition to succeed his father, President Yoweri Museveni.

Gen Muhoozi, who is also the senior presidential advisor on Special Operations, announced his plans on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in a brief post on X.

“I will stand for the highest office in the land in 2031. And we will win by the grace of Almighty God,” Gen Muhoozi said.

The declaration puts a date on an ambition that has shaped political debate around the army chief for several years.

Gen Kainerugaba had been widely expected to contest for president in the 2026 election. His supporters had built a nationwide mobilisation network around his potential candidature, first through the MK Movement and later the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).

However, he later ruled himself out of the 2026 race. He said God had instructed him to concentrate on the army and endorsed President Museveni for another term.

Gen Muhoozi’s latest announcement comes as PLU, which he chairs, returns to grassroots mobilisation following the 2026 general elections.

Last weekend, the organisation held its first post-election baraza at Humura Playground in Kyegegwa district. The meeting attracted PLU leaders and supporters from Tooro, Bunyoro, Greater Mubende and other areas.

PLU leaders described the gathering as the start of a fresh grassroots mobilisation campaign. The organisation has also been rebuilding its structures following leadership changes announced by Muhoozi in June.

His 2031 declaration is his clearest indication yet that his decision to stay out of the 2026 race was a postponement rather than an abandonment of his presidential ambitions.