The year ahead: Will First Son standoff with ruling NRM party blow over?

First Son and presidential advisor on defence, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has a democratic right to contest for the presidency but should not expect a soft landing. This is according to NRM historical, Gen Kahinda Otafiire, who states that the first son should expect a nose bleed should he continue with his ambitions of running against the ruling NRM party.

Gen Otafiire, was speaking during an interview with a local TV station when he was asked to make a comment about Gen Muhoozi’s recent statements indicating that he harbors presidential ambitions but not under the ruling party that is chaired by his father President Yoweri Museveni. “That is his democratic right. I can’t stop him. It is his democratic right. Let him compete against his father and we shall defeat him like we have defeated others before,” Otafiire responded to the question on whether the party will support Muhoozi’s bid.

Otafiire reiterated that neither the party, nor the war historicals are grooming Muhoozi for the presidency. He stated that the party has systems and structures through which leadership is determined. “How do you groom people like Gen Muhoozi and others who would want to take part.” Otafiire was asked, to which he responded: “No one has groomed Gen Muhoozi. It isn’t our duty. It isn’t our responsibility to groom individuals. The party identifies its cadres.”

Muhoozi in early December sent shock waves across social media when he went all out, criticizing the NRM party as one that has lost the confidence of the people of Uganda. Muhoozi described the NRM as a political party that doesn’t represent the people of Uganda. “I am listening to the outcry of our people for change. I am with the people! Whatever NRM has become certainly does not represent the people of Uganda,” Muhoozi tweeted on December 6.

While his father has remained silent on the matter to date, Gen Muhoozi’s sentiments drew a tirade of reactions from the public and the leadership of the party. NRM Secretary General, Richard Todwong asked Gen Muhoozi to go slow with his attacks. “As a party, we warn anybody that not even the chairman of the party can insult this organization. Not even the founder. The party is bigger than all of us and we must respect it. This could have been a misguided opinion about the party. We might need to help those who don’t understand how the party works so they understand how we do things, how we communicate, understand social issues and how you can offer yourself to be a leader .There are things we need to help other people understand,” Todwong said during an end of year press briefing.

Step the shoes, don’t spoil the shine

Todwong said the party was not against criticism by the First Son, but the manner in which the criticism was made was insulting. “We don’t take it in bad faith. A revolutionary party must accept criticism. Such criticisms are good for us to look internally and reflect on some of these things. As you criticize, remember that the English say, step the shoes but don’t spoil the shine. Criticize but don’t insult. Criticize but respect. Step the shoes but don’t spoil the shine,” the leader of the party secretariat stated, adding: “You attack the party and you will have attacked the real core of what many Ugandans believe in.”

In the past there has been what appears as choreographed talk pointing to the fact that Gen Muhoozi is prepared to succeed his father as the next President of the country. Gen Museveni, like many other national leaders have rubbished this talk insisting that the party structures as well as the Constitution of the country shall preside over the decision of who will take the mantle and when.

During his TV interview, Gen Otafiire was asked; “There is an issue of the succession debate. What do you make of the succession debate?” To which he responded, “I don’t see why people are excited about succession. Whether we are good or bad, adequate or inadequate, our past will catch up with us. We shall go. One fine morning, we shall wake up and find that we are no longer around. Our past will catch up with us. So that being a natural process, we should be handled naturally. I have a lot of people telling Museveni to go. They behave like Museveni brought himself. I want to remind all and sundry that President Museveni is a flag bearer of a political party. While the party will say, bwana Museveni, we think you have served enough, step aside and we get somebody else, that is the democratic process in accordance with our constitution. If you don’t like Gen Museveni or the party of NRM, have your party, compete with us, defeat us; then we shall know. But you can’t, just wish us away.”

Otafiire insists that Museveni is not President out of his own crafting but rather as a result of a democratic process. “Does he go for elections? How does he ring fence an office for which he competes every five years?

It is just for show off that we are going for elections. You mean that we who give him our confidence and flag are stupid? We aren’t worth it? Are you trying to tell me that we aren’t there? We are there. He is our flag bearer,” Otafiire said. He added: “For us who have a rational understanding and grounded in NRM, we said we still want Gen Museveni in charge. Come 2026, I am campaigning for Gen Museveni to come back as our flag bearer.”

While Gen Muhoozi has since gone silent with his attacks on the party, it remains to be seen whether 2023 will be the year he will go all out on his father’s party.