PHOTO: Author Jamil Kazibwe
OPINION BY:
JAMIL KAZIBWE
FOR certain reasons, the MK Movement, that reveres President Yoweri Museveni’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba (MK), launched an entity called the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).
PHOTO: Launching of PLU on February 7, 2024
This is after some years moving across Uganda declaring his ‘coming’ to participate in the 2026 elections possibly to unseat his father Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as president.
During the launch, Gen. Muhoozi didn’t attend reportedly out of the country, but several of his loyalists were present and has since then embarked on appointing regional coordinators of PLU which in theory is a ‘pressure group’ but in effect an obvious political party.
PHOTO: NRM’s Capt. Mike Mukula speaking during launch of PLU
No matter how one views, the PLU establishment is hiding under the posture of ‘pressure group’ to do political activities around the country without appropriate legality.
The danger in this is what is inteprete as fooling of voters as well as the intimidation unleashed to certain sections of Ugandans. Multiple times, MK Movement (now PLU) members have uttered out strong words which really spook the public.
Circumstances, according to what they are, clearly indicate signs of something the PLU group is masking but determined to strike an appearance of unifying the country and turnaround things.
Under the guise of ‘correcting the NRM mess’, the PLU has only been good at dancing around the questions without a clear strategy on table to solve the country’s challenges.
What Hon. David Kabanda (MP Kasambya County) and some members ofd his clique do is to blame NRM, a party they have disappointed but now working so hard to split with baseless and childish claims against its leaders, ministers and President Museveni.
There is an allegation by a former Busiro South MP aspirant, Paul Owor, that a certain PLU MP (names withheld) fleeced him to the tune of UShs50 million. The businessman claims to have paid the money to this MP in order to help him meet the president to seal a deal with investors. However, the MP went AWOL leaving Owor stranded.
Such allegations, plus more among which a sex worker took to Twitter (now X) claiming that the MP owes her money for unpaid services, expose the PLU group that gives false hope to Ugandans.
Some members of the PLU have for long had issues with honesty with some dubbed as mafias. They have been involved in financial, sexual and other controversies with some appearing before court and then convicted.
All forms of corruption hinder the implementation of NRM/government programmes, yet prominent members of PLU have been implicated in this vice which hurts the economy beyond the embezzlement, the bribery and extortion.
The PLU clique should state exactly what it wants but not beat around the bush. Further, the members cannot be trusted with governance however much they have publicised their hunger for it using power games.
NRM and President Museveni, apparently are steering the country for steady progress with no strong tussle from the opposition. The ‘standby generator’ as well as ‘empologoma envubuka’ narratives make no sense now after all we know only one ‘mpologoma’ (lion) – that is the Kabaka of Buganda.
The ‘mpologoma nvubuka’ slogan will not only cause tribal outrage but also land Gen. Muhoozi into a bitter row with Baganda, who do not want anyone to equate themselves to the kabaka (king).
The PLU therefore on this, should mind their actions/words or else they could offend Buganda and oodles backfire.
Catchphrases like ‘Jjajja Tova Ku Main’ of ONC’s Hadijah Namyalo, are fine as they don’t create tensions and attract negative reactions.
No doubt these slip-ups will glumly cost Gen. Muhoozi in his bid to become president. His association with people like Kabanda, Gashumba and others is perilous and leaves many questions unrequited. It casts doubt on the PLU agenda.
It’s high time Muhoozi distanced himself from this gang lest his image is relentlessly damaged.
The writer Jamil Kazibwe, is the Coordinator, Greater Masaka Office of NRM National Chairman (ONC)
