Uganda’s army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has announced that he intends to run for president in the 2031 election, reviving long-running speculation about whether he plans to succeed his father, President Yoweri Museveni.
“I will stand for the highest office in the country in 2031,” Kainerugaba wrote on X on the evening of August 25. In another post, he said: “With the help of my father, Mzee, I will get 90% of the vote in the 2031 election.”
Kainerugaba, who has for years been viewed as a possible successor to Museveni, had previously expressed ambitions to contest Uganda’s 2026 presidential election before changing course and publicly backing his father.
Museveni, 81, was re-elected in January for a seventh term after nearly four decades in power. His current term is expected to run until 2031, the year Kainerugaba now says he intends to seek the presidency.
The Ugandan government had not issued an official response to Kainerugaba’s announcement at the time of publication.
Kainerugaba has led Uganda’s military for about two years and has frequently attracted controversy over statements made on social media. He has previously threatened to invade neighbouring Kenya and made remarks about capturing Khartoum in Sudan.
In June, he also ordered one of Uganda’s main independent media groups to suspend its operations, writing on X that he had “no faith in freedom of the press.”
Other posts have drawn attention for their provocative or unusual tone. Kainerugaba has at various times demanded that Turkey pay Uganda $1 billion, made remarks about wanting a convoy involving some of the country’s most beautiful women, and publicly expressed interest in marrying Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and singer Beyoncé.
His latest declaration places the question of Uganda’s political succession back at the centre of attention, although no formal process for the 2031 presidential race has begun and Museveni’s government has so far made no announcement about his son’s stated plans.
