Fact Check: Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba Did not Launch Any Political Party

Claim:

Different online platforms have pushed for a theory that Uganda’s first son and Senior Presidential Advisor, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba launched a dissimilar political party, the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) formerly known as the MK Movement.

Publications on YouTube, like the Ankore online among others made the above claims including prominent political journalist Remmy Bahati taking it to  X / Twitter , saying the political party she once mentioned in 2022 and Gen. Muhoozi denied, had been launched officially 

“Gen Muhoozi officially launches his party Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).” reads Ankore Online’s headline 

Others such as The Monitor said it was a political organization that was rebranded from the MK Movement.

The Facts

The facts for now are that the event held on February 7, 2024, in Naguru a Kampala suburb was a rebranding ceremony from MK Movement to the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), which remains a movement or pressure group until it has been registered as a political party. 

Remember the “People Power” which later became National Unity Platform (NUP), it only became a party after it had been registered and certified  by the Electoral Commission of Uganda. Same goes for the PLU, until it has been certified and confirmed by the Electoral body of Uganda, it remains a movement.

A tweet made by Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, the Nyabushozi county Member of Parliament on his X page indicated that the MK Movement had rebranded, not that a political party was being launched.

“…the MK Movement has adopted a new name and identity. THE PATRIOTIC LEAGUE OF UGANDA which will aim at reviving a spirit of good citizenship, national pride, national service, protection of vulnerable persons, combating corruption and wastage of public resources, and protection of the Environment.” he tweeted

In the same tweet, Hon. Kajwengye attached a document about PLU that proclaimed that the MK Movement constitutes a civic organization and assumes and adopts a new name and identity, the Patriotic League of Uganda, intending to work towards reviving in Ugandans a spirit of good citizenship, national pride, national service, protection of vulnerable persons, combating corruption and wastage of public resources, and protection of the environment.

In another YouTube video posted by Best Shoots Official, Hon. Harriet Ntabazi the State Minister for Trade and one of the guests at the  Naguru event said that PLU is just a pressure group and not a political party as others may think.

“… It is not a party AS YET, because it is not registered as yet. So nobody is crossing from somewhere to anywhere, so those putting it on social media that it is a political party, it’s not a political party…”

According to Part II of the political party and organizations’act 2005, “ Every citizen of Uganda has a right to form or join a political party or organization of his or her choice.”

 The fact that PLU is not yet a registered political party in Uganda, does not ultimately mean that it will not be one in future, the possibilities that it may be registered or not are all high, and we just have to watch the space to see how further the rebranding may unfold.

More information.

Part II of the Act,section 4, highlights the role of the Electoral Commission as far as political parties and organizations formation is concerned in Uganda.

Not forgetting, the Electoral Commission’s website, indicates the whole process for registering a political party in Uganda.

Lastly,  it is quite odd that a movement leader was absent from the events that launched his “political party”. After examining the various videos that were shared by the different online media, which we shared earlier on, none was showing Gen. Muhoozi being present at the event or making any remarks at the event.

Verdict

The headlines about the Patriotic League of Uganda being a political party are inaccurate and misleading, disregard them for now until further developments. Gen. Muhoozi Did not Launch a Political Party. PLU is only a pressure group that rebranded from the MK Movement.

Edited by Rukia Nabbanja