By Mulengera Reporters
President Museveni is under sustained pressure from several of his advisors imploring him to stick to the practice of having former CDFs moving on to become Cabinet Ministers apply to his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as well.
It’s being proposed that (much as becoming Prime Minister or Vice President is the ultimate destination for Gen MK before finally assuming the presidency) Uganda’s crown prince’s ascendance to the apex position should evolve gradually.
Reliable sources close to him say that the big man from Rwakitura has been soliciting and obtaining advice from some of his ex-VPs and PMs (besides religious and cultural leaders) on how to have an inclusive and appropriate cabinet for his fresh term (2026-2031).
Many of these have been of the view that Gen MK transitions into civilian governance by starting out at the Works Ministry where a lot of money will be going for public infrastructure projects now that UNRA is no more. At least one of the former Premiers has encouraged the President to take that path because MK’s deployment at the Port Bell Road-based Ministry will scare off the corrupt cabal members who have been positioning themselves to follow the trillions that directly will be going to Works in the absence of UNRA.
Being able to annihilate corruption in such a strange environment (where he has no prior connection) will boost Gen MK’s PR besides enabling him demonstrate visible impact as the state of Uganda’s public transport infrastructure will be rapidly changing in such a short time under him as the political leader at Works. This deployment will also give Gen MK the opportunity to accelerate management reforms at Uganda Airlines whose former CEO he personally castigated for mediocrity, incompetence, corruption and mal-governance.
“Turning around the country’s public transport infrastructure and quickly decongesting the roads as utility shifts to water and railway transport will greatly bolster Gen MK’s image as a leader who get things done in a short time. Port Bell is one place where his impact can be felt in such a short time,” remarked a well briefed source.
The President has been advised that after doing a maximum of three years as Port Bell, Gen MK will then be ripe for elevation to the position of either VP or Prime Minister which palace advisors like Andrew Mwenda wanted him to assume right away, his limited experience in the area of cabinet matters notwithstanding.
Transitioning Gen MK from being CDF to becoming a Cabinet Minister will be consistent with what happened in the case of a good number of his predecessors in the CDF office. Gen Aronda Nyakayirima became Internal Affairs Minister immediately after ceasing to be CDF. Gen Katumba Wamala and David Muhoozi followed the same path except that for them started out as State Ministers at Works and Internal Affairs respectively.
The very humorous Gen Wilson Mbadi also became Minister (State for Trade) immediately after ceasing to be CDF. So, there is nothing unprecedented Gen Museveni will have done transitioning the PLU Supremo from being CDF to Cabinet Minister. Gen Jeje Odong also served as army commander before becoming a Cabinet Minister. Even in the case of Gen Muntu, President Museveni had offered him a Cabinet slot after ceasing to be army commander except that the humble General from Ntungamo politely declined and instead became an EALA member.
GEN BALYA: Some of his friends have rang us to complain each time we have reported about this but the truth is that the name of Brig Ronnie Balya has continued to be considered, vetted and weighed for the position of Vice President.
This has remained the position and the advice Gen Museveni has continued getting is that there is need to reward Tooro sub region, which has religiously voted for NRM without break, by putting one of their own in such a big position because the Batooro have never had any of their own occupy one of the country’s five topmost political positions in the last 40 years of NRM. The proposal is to promote the amiable Balya to full general and make him VP but without retiring him immediately. He is an effective mobilizer and loyal to Museveni and the Movement.
Tremendous exposure to international relations practice is his other selling point whereby he will be able to travel the globe and effectively represent Uganda, including at UNGA, now that Gen Museveni no longer has appetite for long flights given his age and unwillingness to sit through such long sessions to listen to imperialists’ insults and attempt to lecture leaders from the global south about democracy and human rights. Balya isn’t personally very ambitious; implying that he will use his pedigree to strictly promote Uganda, the Movement, Gen Museveni and not himself.
Ex-Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo is also being considered for the assignment of Vice President because he too is NRM and his inclusion will increase the visibility of the Luos at the eating table in Kampala. Dollo is also very bellicose and Gen Museveni had better keep him busy in the VP role so that he doesn’t have much time to keep with community members in Acholi, a region he and others feel hasn’t been adequately compensated since the departure of their Jacob Oulanyah who died in March 2022.
Making Dollo VP will also facilitate the isolation of the very unpredictable and ambitious Norbert Mao in case he considers causing trouble for the President after failing to win the Speakership race. The other prospect Gen Museveni is seriously weighing is making Richard Todwong the Prime Minister, in which case the very capable Rose Namayanja (whose home region Buganda voted well this time round) gets elevated to become the new NRM Secretary General.
Mao has previously hinted on readiness to become a Semujju Nganda of some sort as a back bencher in case Anita Among remains Speaker (though many doubt he will be given chance to talk as Semujju was given considering the below the belt attacks he has been directing at Anita Among, including calling her thief guest).
Credible reports have consistently maintained that Katumba Wamala is slated to become the next Prime Minister, replacing Robinah Nabbanja. Katumba is sophisticated and already commands head prefect-like respect and acceptability among fellow Cabinet members.
He is scandal-free and a Muganda whose home region qualifies to be politically rewarded given that Gen Museveni’s vote and that of other NRM candidates grew during the January 2026 elections, compared to the rejection that was endured in 2021. With a more complementary leadership at Mengo, Gen Museveni will have no justification not prioritizing Baganda in his forthcoming Cabinet deployments.
Besides Katumba Wamala, there are other cadres from Buganda including Haruna Kasolo, Amelia Kyambadde, Eng Bernardo Sebuga Kimeze, Judith Nabakooba, Kibedi Nsegumire, David Kabanda (sports), Dr. Michael Bukenya, JC Muyingo (some first family members want him to be VP), Justine Nameere, Kyofa Togabye, Madina Nsereko, Bukomansimbi South’s Hassan Mukiibi, Yusuf Nsibambi (Finance, Internal Affairs or Justice Ministry) and others who are slated to eat big. 
For defeating Muwanga Kivumbi who Gen Museveni passionately hates, Butambala’s Eriasa Mukiibi (a very brainy youthful actor in his own right and brother to PSST Goobi) could land a State Ministerial docket. And the same helps to normalize the business of having family members holding influential positions in this post-shame Uganda of ours.
One of the Musevenists who won their MP races from populous Wakiso district, which is home to Entebbe State House, is headed for Cabinet inclusion to embolden cadres and amplify political mobilization for the Movement. Busiro North’s Moses Mayanja, a close ally of NRM Deputy SG Rose Namayanja, is being vetted and seriously considered. Busiro North, which lies within Luwero Triangle, had its past NRM MPs eat big in Cabinet namely Gilbert Bukenya and later on Denis Ssozi Galabuzi. Because its where he fought from Gen Museveni feels obliged to treat politicians from Busiro North generously.
Lillian Aber, a pillar in PLU, is headed for elevation to full cabinet position as Beatrice Anywar, who has twice failed to win the Kitgum Municipality MP Seat, gets relegated to the SPA position. Dennis Namara, formerly of FDC and who booted Barnabas Tinkasimire is Buyaga County, is being considered too partly because his mentor Amama Mbabazi is among those playing an active role in deciding who gets included. He is youthful, an eloquent lawyer and friendly. He also speaks many Ugandan languages fluently. He was guild speaker at Makerere under Gerald Karuhanga.
To tame and prevent him from becoming controversial and incite the emergency of a group of new rebel MPs, Ofwono Opondo is being vetted. Cabinet inclusion is the best way to gag and prevent the naturally very combative Opondo from being outspoken on things Gen Museveni may not be comfortable to have subjected to any scrutiny or have his Executive-level agents questioned about. OO’s home area of Tororo has to eat big and the fact that he has plenty of institutional memory on the Museveni era governance makes him hard to alienate.
Vision group reporting indicates that a few cadres from the RDCs’ fraternity will be included with names like Wakiso’s Justine Mbabazi (dean of all RDCs) standing a high chance, if not someone directly from the RDC’s Secretariat. The RDCs live and work among the grass root people which makes them hard to ignore moreover at the time when Gen Museveni is obliged to have diversity as a way of catching many pundits, who like predicting him, off guard.
Former Ministers who fought and won their Parliamentary races and bounced back stand high chances too and names like Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, Crispus Kiyonga and the 80-year-old Ephraim Kamuntu will be hard to ignore. Ayivu County’s Phiona Onzima, ex-Makerere Guild President Alionze Lawrence Dangote are also being vetted among other cadres from West Nile.
Latest reporting by state media shows the following are also being considered for elevation into lucrative deployments largely because of their credentials as PLU adherents: Njeru’s Jimmy Lwanga, Henry Basaliza, Amb Adonia Ayebare, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng (could land something big at the OPM as redeployment elsewhere will be a good thing given that she has served as health since the year 2011), Bunyole’s James Waluswaka, Martin Mugabi Muzaale, Joanne Okia, fearless fighter Frank Gashumba (whose strong social media presence and sociable character would be value addition for the Movement), Frank Tumwebaze, Jackson Atima, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, Mwesigye Frank and Nelson Nshangabasheija.
SPA Moses Byaruhanga’s name has also continued to be referenced, having been around loyally serving the President in State House for nearly 30 years now. Weekend Vision recently equated his knowledge and influence on the Presidency to that of Yemane Gebread who for an eternity has loyally served as head of political affairs in the Eritrean Presidency. Hajji Faruk Kirunda could be tapped to fill the void left by Byaruhanga’s impending elevation, in case he doesn’t become a Minister too. Under that same reporting, the Vision Group hinted on the possibility of Lydia Wanyoto and Masindi Woman MP Florence Asiimwe Akiki landing a slot.
Desire to accommodate the Orthodox Christians (numbering between 300,000 and 500,000 in Uganda) has caused Gen Museveni to finally consider making his foster son Theodore Sekikubo a Minister too and gratefully, he has the necessary pedigree given his political seniority having served as Lwemiyaga County MP for 25 years.(For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
