The Democratic Party (DP) has raised concerns over what it describes as selective enforcement of laws barring military officers from participating in politics.
This comes after the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, made a series of controversial posts, including one in which he announced he would not run for president in 2026.
In one of his posts on X (formerly Twitter), Muhoozi suggested that Uganda would not be governed by a civilian once President Museveni leaves office, stating that the security forces would prevent a civilian from taking the country's highest position.
Muhoozi has also been accused of engaging in political discussions on his X account, encouraging followers to contest under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket.
DP's acting party spokesperson, Ismail Kiirya, condemned Muhoozi's actions in a statement, describing them as a violation of military regulations that prohibit soldiers from engaging in political matters.
"We are calling upon the UPDF not to apply the law selectively when it comes to barring army officers from political engagement," Kiirya said.
He pointed out the inconsistency between Muhoozi's situation and past instances where military officers faced repercussions for similar actions.
"When Gen. Tinyefuza spoke out on political issues, he was forced into exile. Yet, someone who has the freedom to threaten neighboring countries remains untouched."
DP expressed fears that allowing such actions to go unchecked could create a dangerous precedent, warning that military involvement in politics could lead to instability.
"As the Democratic Party, we caution the UPDF that such precedence may lead to direct military involvement in the country's politics," Kiirya warned.
The party also called on President Yoweri Museveni, as the appointing authority, to address the situation before it escalates.
"This message is directed to Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni because he is the appointing authority. The longer he ignores his son's actions, the more tension will build in the country," Kiirya added.
Kiirya emphasized that if Gen. Muhoozi wishes to engage in politics, he should first resign from his military position and retire from the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF).
"If Gen. Muhoozi wants to join politics, that's his right, but he should first resign from the UPDF and retire. We would welcome him with open arms, but he must stop discussing politics while still in command of the military."
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Muhoozi, appointed as CDF in March, has long been rumored to be positioning himself to succeed his father, President Museveni.
Speculation intensified when the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), which Muhoozi chairs, began organizing nationwide mobilization tours.
Previously, Muhoozi had made headlines with several controversial social media posts, in which he hinted at running for the presidency in 2026.
However, he recently announced that he would not seek the presidency and instead urged his supporters to back President Museveni in the next election.
"All my millions of supporters, all the supporters of PLU, we shall all, as one, support President Museveni in 2026. The future belongs to our mighty God, and we shall triumph in His name," Muhoozi posted.
President Museveni, in power since 1986, has yet to confirm whether he will seek a seventh term, but political commentators believe his return is highly likely.
