NRM SG Todwong Dismisses as False Reports That CEC Rejected Muhoozi as Next President

What the report says

KAMPALA — Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has rejected online claims that its Central Executive Committee (CEC) blocked an effort to position Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as a future president. In a statement released on 12 November 2026 and shared on X, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong said the reports were “completely false” and urged the public to rely only on official party communication.

Todwong said he was responding to a story about a closed-door CEC meeting held on 10 November 2026. The circulating accounts, originally attributed to AFP and later picked up by other media outlets, said some CEC members had challenged a succession-related proposal linked to Muhoozi, who is currently the Chief of Defence Forces. Those reports also described an interrupted vote and internal questions over his readiness, though Todwong did not address those details in his denial.

According to the Watchdog Uganda report, Todwong said the CEC regularly discusses broad political, social and economic issues and that any formal party decision would be announced through the proper channels. The article notes that the statement comes amid continued debate over Uganda’s political future, including speculation around the 2031 election and whether President Yoweri Museveni will seek another term.

The report also places the denial in the context of ongoing mobilisation by supporters of Muhoozi, including figures linked to the Patriotic League of Uganda. In broader terms, the episode reflects the sensitivity of succession talk inside the NRM, which has ruled Uganda since 1986, and the party’s effort to control messaging around leadership questions.