By Andrew Victor Mawanda Naimanye
The President of the Common Man’s Party, Mubarak Munyagwa, and a prominent opposition figure, has poured scorn on the ongoing NRM tribunal process, describing it as a mere formality intended to rubber-stamp pre-determined outcomes in favour of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a political pressure group aligned with CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Speaking on Sanyuka TV’s Morning Xpress on Thursday, Munyagwa dismissed the credibility of the NRM’s internal electoral process, claiming that the real victors of the recent party primaries were candidates loyal to Gen Muhoozi, not the traditional NRM establishment.
“Nothing meaningful will come out of the NRM tribunal — only surprises in favour of PLU,” Munyagwa said. “Gen Muhoozi has 80% of the winning candidates in the NRM primaries. It’s PLU that won.”
The NRM tribunal is currently in its second day of reviewing complaints from several dissatisfied candidates following the hotly contested party primaries.
However, Munyagwa claims that the tribunal is a mere smokescreen and that power within the ruling party has already shifted.
“Parliament will be overtaken by PLU. Even the NRM caucus will be full of PLU members. They’re strategic,” he said.
Munyagwa went on to suggest that Gen Muhoozi’s rise has been carefully orchestrated behind the scenes, pointing to his past appointment as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) as a pivotal moment in his political ascendancy.
“The day Gen Muhoozi became CDF, he was practically handed the powers of the Commander-in-Chief,” Munyagwa said.
“A general at 48 can’t just walk away from politics, I knew there was something being played behind the scenes. Gen Muhoozi carried out a surgical operation on them.”
His remarks underscore the growing tension within the ruling party as it navigates internal divisions and shifting loyalties, especially with the increasing visibility and influence of Gen Muhoozi and the PLU.
Munyagwa’s comments also reflect broader concerns among opposition voices that Uganda is witnessing the subtle but deliberate repositioning of political power, one that may culminate in Gen Muhoozi taking over the reins of leadership in the near future.
As the political landscape continues to evolve ahead of the 2026 general elections, the impact of the PLU’s apparent infiltration of NRM structures remains to be fully seen , but for critics like Munyagwa, the writing is already on the wall.