In a swift turn of events in Speakership race, President Museveni’s powerful son and chief of defence forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has announced withdrawing his support to current Speaker Anita Among who seeks a second term .
For two months now , many leaders and members of the ruling National Resistance Movement believed Ms Among and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa were safely headed for another term after being endorsed by the NRM Central Executive Committee.Gen Muhoozi also announced that he was backing their bids .
However , Gen Muhoozi’s latest remarks suggest things may no longer be the same .
“We have another candidate…call him/her the PLU candidate,” Muhoozi posted on X, immediately setting off speculation in Kampala political circles that PLU could be preparing to abandon Among despite earlier endorsements.
In another post, the first son wrote: “Whether Anita or Mao or whoever the will of Mzee will prevail!” before adding: “PLU supports whatever position President Museveni takes and we do not listen to NRM’s CEC.”
The comments came shortly after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni told the ongoing NRM retreat in Kyankwanzi that the party would discuss the Speaker issue “at the right time,” signalling that the race was not yet closed.
Inside the NRM, Muhoozi’s words carry enormous weight.
Besides being Chief of Defence Forces, he commands growing political influence through PLU, which claims support from hundreds of MPs and MPs-elect, especially younger legislators.
His political signals are closely watched because they often shape internal mobilisation within the ruling party.
The timing of Muhoozi’s shift away from Among has intensified debate because it comes amid public outrage over reports that the Speaker recently acquired a Rolls Royce reportedly worth about Shs3.4 billion.
The luxury vehicle, said to have been imported from Britain, has dominated political conversation over the past few days.
Among has reportedly maintained that the vehicle was a gift, but that explanation has done little to calm criticism on social media, where many Ugandans questioned the optics of such extravagance at a time when many families are struggling with the cost of living.
Muhoozi appeared to indirectly reference the controversy in one of his strongest posts yet.
“I have been Mzee’s son for 52 years but I have never sat in a rolls royce ever. I don’t think Mzee has sat in one either,” he wrote.
He followed it with another hard-hitting message: “Our job is to SERVE Ugandans not ourselves! I cannot support corruption! I risked my life to make this country peaceful. Now that it is, it will not be taken by thieves. Never!”
In yet another post, Muhoozi criticised excessive parliamentary spending, saying PLU believes money allocated to Parliament should instead help “millions of Ugandans living in shacks, with no water or power.”
Extravagance
The Rolls Royce itself has become symbolic in the political storm.
The ultra-luxury vehicle is associated globally with wealth and prestige, featuring rear executive seating, high-end leather interiors, advanced infotainment systems, air suspension technology, collision warning systems and a powerful V12 engine.
To many ordinary Ugandans, however, the issue is less about the car itself and more about what it represents during difficult economic times.
PLU Secretary General Daudi Kabanda also appeared to hint at a new direction when he posted: “The PLU Candidates for Speakership shall win massively,” suggesting the movement may field or back a different candidate altogether.
The biggest question now is who PLU may eventually support if it moves away from Among. Political insiders say Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa remains a strong possibility because of his growing popularity within Parliament and among younger MPs.
Others believe Defence Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth could emerge as a compromise candidate acceptable to both security and political power centres.
For now, however, Muhoozi has kept the country guessing.
And in Uganda’s politics, when Muhoozi speaks cryptically, many in the ruling party listen very carefully.