BWANIKA JOSEPH; No second Home: Why ordinary Ugandans must resist Constitutional betrayal

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda published an opinion piece by Joseph Bwanika arguing that Uganda’s political system is drifting toward what he describes as a managed succession plan centered on Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. The article says President Yoweri Museveni’s long tenure has been marked by the concentration of political and military power, and it frames Muhoozi’s rise through senior army roles, including his current position as Chief of Defence Forces, as part of that trajectory.

Bwanika contends that backing a serving military officer for the 2031 presidency conflicts with Uganda’s constitutional and legal rules on military neutrality. He cites the Constitution and the UPDF Act to argue that the army must remain non-partisan and subordinate to civilian authority, and he says attempts to present political mobilization through the Patriotic League of Uganda as a civic effort are misleading. The piece also criticizes public endorsements of Muhoozi by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and by business figures who, the author claims, are seeking political favor or protection.

The article is a forceful call for Ugandans to defend the Constitution and avoid normalizing what the author calls elite betrayal. It urges peaceful civic resistance, social distancing from people seen as enabling repression, and vigilance from citizens who, unlike wealthy elites, cannot simply leave the country if politics worsens. More broadly, the commentary reflects ongoing debate in Uganda over succession politics, civil-military relations, and the role of public institutions in protecting democratic governance.