PLU is NRM’s dynamic youth wing – Gen. Muhoozi

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Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has said the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) is the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s “very powerful and dynamic youth wing”.

Muhoozi, who is the PLU national chairman, also serves as the Chief of Defence Forces and the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations.

He made the remarks on July 20 2025, while congratulating all PLU members who emerged as winners in the recent NRM primary elections.

“This has been a long journey. PLU is the very powerful and dynamic youth wing of NRM. It has taken us 10 years to realise our dream. We thank Almighty God!” Gen. Muhoozi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

PLU secretary general and Kasambya County NRM MP David Kabanda said the majority of their coordinators who participated in the primary elections won.

These include sports state minister Peter Ogwang in Ngariam County (Teso sub-region coordinator), microfinance state minister Haruna Kasolo in Kyotera County (Greater Masaka), Arua Central Division MP Jackson Atima (West Nile), Moroto Municipality MP Francis Adome (Karamoja), and health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng in Lira City (Lango).

Others are Layibi-Bardege Division MP Martin Ojara Mapenduzi (Acholi), and Joseph Kakooza in Buwekula County (Greater Mubende).

PLU, formerly known as the MK Movement, was launched in Kampala on February 7, 2024, as a civic organisation to mobilise Ugandans towards the goal of national unity, peace, and stability.

However, the MK Movement began in April 2022 as “a spontaneous and diverse group of Ugandans that rallied around Gen. Muhoozi to appreciate his military service and the service of his army comrades to the Republic of Uganda”.

‘Tactical retreat’

Gen. Muhoozi took to X in September last year and endorsed President Yoweri Museveni’s candidacy in the 2026 general election.

Ruling himself out of next year’s general election was viewed as both a tactical retreat and a strategic alignment by analysts and political actors alike, marking a significant political development in Uganda’s evolving power dynamics.

“I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026. Almighty God told me to focus on His Army first. So, I fully endorse President Yoweri Museveni in the next elections,” he posted.

The four-star general went on to urge all his supporters and PLU members to follow suit.

“All my millions of supporters. All the supporters of PLU. We shall all of us, as one man and without exception, support President Museveni in 2026. The future belongs to our mighty God alone, and we shall triumph in His name,” he said.

The First Son also told PLU members who want to contest for Parliament in the 2026 elections that nothing was stopping them from doing so.

“PLU is a civic organisation not a political party. You are absolutely free to contest. For now, I advise you to subscribe to NRM. That is the political party that is most closely aligned to our values,” he added.