The son of Uganda’s long-time president, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced on Saturday that he will not run in the 2026 presidential election, urging his supporters to back his father, Yoweri Museveni, instead.
“I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026,” Kainerugaba said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
He also expressed his support for his father’s re-election bid, stating, “I fully endorse President Yoweri Museveni in the next elections.”
Kainerugaba, the head of Uganda’s military, is widely considered a potential successor but has been known for making controversial statements, including a 2022 Twitter threat to invade Kenya, for which his father later apologised.
Allegations from Uganda’s opposition claim that President Museveni is attempting to establish a monarchy, a charge he denies.
Museveni, who has ruled since 1986, has extended his tenure by altering the constitution twice.
Human rights groups and opposition figures, such as Bobi Wine, accuse him of using security forces to suppress dissent, though Museveni refutes these claims.
Bobi Wine, who finished second in the 2021 presidential election, disputed the results, accusing the government of ballot stuffing, intimidation, and the abduction of his supporters.
Museveni, however, claimed it was the fairest election in Uganda’s history.
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