Muhoozi will help NRM recapture Buganda - former minister Kibuule

Former State Minister for Water, Ronald Kibuule, has hailed the First Son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s MK movement saying it is going to help ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to recapture Buganda.
Mr Kibuule, the former Mukono North MP on Sunday during a media interview at his home in Mbalala Village, Nama Sub-county, Mukono District, said the Muhoozi movement has been embraced by the youth across the country, consequently ‘neutralizing’ the Opposition’s big support.
“I am sure Gen Muhoozi as a disciplined army officer and who was well-nurtured, will not compete against his father, Gen Museveni, in the 2026 presidential election. But his MK movement is going to help our party (NRM) to regain Buganda and other parts of the country,” Mr Kibuule said.

READ: Kibuule is no stranger to controversy
“I know the NRM MPs who are in their retreat at Kyakwanzi are  going to endorse President Museveni as the NRM sole presidential flag bearer for the 2026 presidential election and I am sure he [Museveni] will accept,” Mr Kibuule, who lost to Mr Abdallah Kiwanuka of National Unity Platform (NUP) in the 2021 parliamentary elections said. 
In the January 2021 presidential elections, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine who was the NUP presidential flag bearer, defeated Museveni in his so-called Mecca of Luweero and the entire Buganda where the latter used to gather much votes in previous elections.

Analysts say unfilled pledges coupled with rampant evictions partly contributed to NRM’s dismal performance in Buganda during the last general election.
Mr Museveni scored 838,858 votes (35 percent) in Buganda against Mr Kyagulanyi’s 1,453,535 votes (62 percent). Unlike Busoga Sub-region where wins of parliamentary seats masked a loss of the national vote; Mr Museveni’s NRM suffered defeat in both races in Buganda. Out of 78 directly elected MPs, the NRM managed to win only 23 positions. As for the district Woman MP, out of the 27 districts that make up Buganda, the NRM only came top in nine.
In the process of trying to mend fences with electorates in Buganda, the NRM is currently sending teams, crisscrossing districts to endear the party to the voters.
Gen Muhoozi, the 49-year-old serving military officer and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations earlier this year indicated that he’s waited long enough for his turn to lead Uganda as time seems to be fast-running.
Unlike his father President Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 and relishes public attention, acknowledging that a big number of youth were supporting the opposition because of joblessness, the former minister said NRM needs to have a continuous recruitment plan for youth into the party.
“The age bracket of 18-25 years is influenced by their peers so we need to politically orient them,” he said.
Mr Kibuule noted that the Opposition, who had through  their ‘lies’ and ‘hate campaign’  won most leaderships in Buganda had been exposed and would have nothing to tell Ugandans in 2026 elections.
“They [opposition leaders] have been given five years. But what have they done, apart from some of them turning into meal-card politicians. I am going to win my seat in 2026 elections with over 80 per cent,” he asserted.
Mr Kibuule, who served for two terms as Mukono north MP, also cited intrigue within NRM as one of the factors that is likely to weaken the party. He blamed the party’s disciplinary committee for failing to take action against the ‘culprits’.
“If I am the problem in Mukono, I should be disciplined by the party. If this is not done, we shall have many independents. And surprisingly, some malicious people are in some cases rewarded,” he said without divulging details.