Takeaways

• Journalist Andrew Mwenda claimed General Muhoozi Kainerugaba could grab 99% of the vote if he runs for president in 2031.
• Mwenda slammed NUP leader Bobi Wine as an “expired product” who lacks support if he returns from exile.
• The PLU member expressed sympathy for detained Col. Kizza Besigye but noted his stubborness makes a pardon unlikely.
• Dismissing the opposition, Mwenda pointed out that the FDC held more parliamentary seats than the struggling PFF.

Andrew Mwenda, a member of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), has said General Muhoozi Kainerugaba could secure as much as 99 per cent of the vote if he challenged for the presidency in the 2031 general elections.

Mwenda made the remarks while discussing Uganda’s political future, opposition figures and the possibility of a presidential bid by the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

“I just have to be a member of PLU and to go and lobby General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as the next president of Uganda in 2031. Because we want him to get 99 per cent in 2031 when he runs,” Mwenda said.

The veteran journalist also questioned the political relevance of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, should he return from exile.

“Who will support Bobi Wine? Bobi Wine is an expired product,” he said, casting doubt on the opposition leader’s ability to maintain his political influence.

Mwenda also dismissed suggestions that former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) supporters and other opposition figures could significantly reshape the political landscape, pointing to the performance of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) in the parliamentary elections.

“FDC at least won some 11 or 12 seats. PFF could not win even one seat,” he argued.

The discussion also turned to the continued detention of opposition figure Colonel (Rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye, with Mwenda expressing sympathy for the veteran opposition politician while maintaining that his release through the courts or a presidential pardon would depend on specific legal processes.

Mwenda said a presidential pardon in Uganda generally follows conviction and involves a committee responsible for considering applications under the prerogative of mercy.

He explained that applicants must admit guilt, demonstrate remorse and ask for forgiveness, arguing that Besigye’s longstanding political position could make such a route difficult.

“He’s too stubborn. He looks very stubborn,” Mwenda said.

However, he acknowledged the human cost of Besigye’s continued detention and suggested that a political solution could be preferable to prolonged prosecution.

“If it was left to me, I would end the prosecution, forgive him and let him go home,” he said.

Mwenda also defended the authenticity of audio recordings reportedly linked to Besigye, arguing that the defence should challenge the evidence through independent testing if it believed the recordings had been manipulated.

He maintained that the authenticity of the recordings should be established through evidence, rather than assumptions about whether they were genuine or artificially generated.

The remarks reflect the sharp political divisions surrounding Uganda’s opposition and the debate over Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s potential political ambitions ahead of the 2031 elections.