Diaspora mobiliser joins growing chorus of supporters backing Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for Uganda’s 2031 presidenc
By Brian Mugenyi
mugenyijj@gmail.com
Kampala: From thousands of kilometers away in California, United States, a Ugandan nurse has added her voice to the growing political mobilization around Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, publicly declaring her support for his bid to become Uganda’s president.
Ms Ann Kirabo, a Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) mobiliser in the diaspora, made the declaration after meeting PLU General Secretary Fadhil Twalla on Tuesday 29th September 2026, who welcomed supporters at the organization’s office in Kampala.
Kirabo said her decision to support Gen. Kainerugaba followed what she described as her assessment of his public service record, leadership vision and commitment to fighting corruption.
“I urge all the nurses in California to work with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as the next president of Uganda,” Kirabo said.
For Kirabo, the endorsement is not simply about supporting an individual. She said it reflects what she believes is a wider generational conversation about Uganda’s future leadership.
She described Gen. Kainerugaba as a leader with a long-term vision for Uganda and said she believes his commitment to the country deserves support from Ugandans both at home and abroad.
“I have been working hard to give the best from my work, but I have not seen anyone who is committed to serving Uganda as Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba,” she said.
Kirabo also linked her support to what she described as Gen. Kainerugaba’s position against corruption.
“He has fought corruption in Uganda. I urge all Ugandans to move away from naysayers and support Gen. Muhoozi,” she said.
Kirabo’s position was also backed by Mr Mohammed Ssebuufu, a PLU mobiliser for the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, who described the endorsement as an initiative aimed at rallying support around Gen. Kainerugaba’s political aspirations.
Ssebuufu said mobilisers have continued engaging communities and encouraging people to participate in discussions about Uganda’s political future.
He said Kirabo’s endorsement demonstrates the growing involvement of Ugandans in the diaspora in Uganda’s political discourse.
The endorsements are part of wider political mobilisation around Gen. Kainerugaba, who has emerged as a prominent figure in Uganda’s political discussions.
However, claims about his record and achievements remain political positions expressed by his supporters and should be considered in that context.
Who is Muhoozi Kainerugaba?
Gen. Kainerugaba is a senior Ugandan military officer and the son of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
He joined the military after an earlier period in business and subsequently trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. His military career has included command and senior strategic responsibilities within the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).
In March 2024, President Museveni appointed Gen. Kainerugaba Chief of Defence Forces, replacing Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi. He became the 13th CDF and assumed responsibility for the leadership of the country’s armed forces.
At his handover ceremony in Gulu, Gen. Kainerugaba pledged to maintain a professional UPDF and spoke about tackling corruption and mismanagement of resources within the force.
His military career has also included international security engagements. UPDF records show that he attended the Executive National Security Programme at South Africa’s National Defence College in 2012 and has engaged military counterparts from several countries.
From MK Movement to PLU
Gen. Kainerugaba’s public political profile grew through the MK Movement, which later evolved into the Patriotic League of Uganda.
PLU has presented patriotism and the fight against corruption as central themes of its mobilisation. The organisation has since developed a nationwide structure involving political figures, community mobilisers and supporters.
The movement’s evolution has placed Gen. Kainerugaba at the centre of an increasingly visible debate about Uganda’s political succession.
In September 2026, PLU launched a nationwide signature mobilisation campaign seeking support for Gen. Kainerugaba’s 2031 presidential ambitions. Reports indicated that the mobilisation was being conducted across districts and was aimed at collecting millions of signatures.
The development has made PLU one of the most visible organisations associated with Gen. Kainerugaba’s political aspirations.
Twalla welcomes supporters
At the PLU office, General Secretary Fadhil Twalla welcomed supporters and mobilisers participating in the organisation’s activities.
Twalla’s role has become increasingly visible as PLU expands its structures and mobilisation activities around the country.
The organisation has continued to attract political figures and supporters as discussions about the 2031 succession question gather momentum.
Kirabo’s endorsement therefore adds a diaspora dimension to the mobilisation, with the California-based nurse calling on Ugandans working in the nursing profession to consider supporting Gen. Kainerugaba.
Ssebuufu backs Kirabo
Kirabo’s endorsement was also welcomed by Mr Mohammed Ssebuufu, a PLU mobiliser for the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Ssebuufu said the declaration was significant because it demonstrated that the conversation around Gen. Kainerugaba’s political future extends beyond Uganda’s borders.
He said PLU mobilisers in Kampala have continued engaging citizens and encouraging them to participate in discussions concerning the country’s political future.
Ssebuufu described Kirabo’s endorsement as part of what he called a timely initiative to rally support around Gen. Kainerugaba’s political aspirations.
A political journey under scrutiny
Gen. Kainerugaba’s growing political profile has, however, also generated debate about the relationship between his military responsibilities and political mobilisation.
His supporters argue that his public leadership activities reflect a desire to contribute to Uganda’s future, while critics have questioned the involvement of an active-duty military officer in partisan political activity. Those competing positions form part of the broader national debate surrounding his political ambitions.
For Kirabo, however, the question is settled by what she says she has observed in Gen. Kainerugaba’s public service.
From her nursing workplace in California to PLU’s mobilisation structures in Kampala, she says her message is straightforward: Ugandans should examine the leadership choices before them and participate in shaping the country’s political future.
Her endorsement adds another voice to an increasingly organised campaign around Gen. Kainerugaba ahead of the 2031 presidential contest.
