The meeting that sealed Sodo’s fate

Godfrey Aine Kaguta (left) alias Sodo and Shartsi Musherure Nayebare Kutesa (right). PHOTOS/ FILE

What you need to know:

  • Sodo had defeated Musherure in the hotly contested September 30, NRM primaries in the constituency. However, the top NRM leadership later tactfully denied Sodo the party flag and advised both candidates to stand as independents to avoid dividing party members in the constituency.

President Museveni’s young brother Godfrey Aine Kaguta alias Sodo has said he was “forced” to withdraw his candidature from the Mawogola North parliamentary race.

With just hours to the general election, Sodo revealed Wednesday that the decision to withdraw from the race followed a meeting he had with his family led by President Museveni and some of his (Sodo) campaign agents at State House, Entebbe on Sunday.

“It's true I have withdrawn from the race. On Sunday we had a meeting with my family; that's President Yoweri Museveni, Gen Salim Saleh, Michael Nuwagira alias Toyota, Sedrack Nowomugisha Nzaire and Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, among others.

The meeting was also attended by Foreign affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, his two daughters Shartsi Musherure Nayebare (Sodo’s challenger), Charlotte Nankunda Kutesa (Muhoozi’s wife) and son Isaac Kutesa, according to Sodo.

“There were allegations from Kutesa that our supporters were attacking each other. Mze (President Museveni) decided that I should pull out because if we were fighting then there was nothing we were going to do for people of Mawogola North Constituency,” Sodo told NTV Uganda.

“Mze then decided to call 30 people from Mawogola and after consultation, he told me I should step down. That I should come back in 2026. The president (Museveni) is the chairman of the party (NRM) and head of the family. He's like my father. I did not want to disagree with him. If the head of the family decides then what else can I do?” Sodo said before adding that he had called a meeting of all his coordinators to explain to them circumstance surrounding his withdrwal.

“I don't know why Kutesa pushed me to the wall but I think they feared. I was going to win this election,” he said.

Shartis Musherure Kutesa, a daughter to Sam Kutesa, has been Sodo’s main challenger in the race.

Sodo had defeated Musherure in the hotly contested September 30, NRM primaries in the constituency. However, the top NRM leadership later tactfully denied Sodo the party flag and advised both candidates to stand as independents to avoid dividing party members in the constituency.