First son Muhoozi Kainerugaba has opened up on press reports of youth pushing for his 2021 presidency.

Through his newly appointed spokesperson Chris Magezi, Kainerugaba disowned the youths that have been marketing a Muhoozi presidency project.

A group of youths have started an online campaign dubbed: “Muhoozi Kainerugaba: Our generation president (2021-2026)” and have appealed to the public to support Muhoozi to succeed his father when Uganda next goes to the poll in 2021.

The group also has members in the diaspora, particularly the US, if their social media posts showing both the US and Uganda flags are anything to go by.

Political temperatures in Uganda are already rising, barely two years from a poll disputed by Museveni’s four-time challenger Dr Kizza Besigye.

At the peak of the east African nation with a turbulent post-independence history is the age limit debate.

Last week, in a caucus of his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs backed a bill by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi that seeks to delete the upper age limit in article 102b of the Constitution that bars anyone over 75 years from standing for president.

Born in 1944 and in power since 1986, Museveni will be ineligible for reelection in 2021.

The youths fronting Muhoozi’s presidency argue that he is a leader of their generation.

But Magezi has dismissed the reports

“He [Muhoozi has never met or interacted with any of them and therefore the views and opinions they [ youth] have been propagating are solely their own,” said Magezi, the recently appointed spokesperson of the office Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, held by son to Uganda’s three-decade president Yoweri Museveni.

NOT NEW

But the youths’ plot is not new: they sought to front Muhoozi in the run up to last year’s presidential poll. But their voices fizzled with Museveni’s nomination.

Indeed Magezi has referred all those asking about the Muhoozi project to a press statement issued in 2015 on the same matter.

“Please refer to recent articles in both the print and broadcast media about a youth group or groups that are allegedly pro- Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for President of Uganda.

[Maj Gen] Muhoozi wishes to unequivocally state that he has no knowledge about that group of youth and what they claim to represent. He has never met or interacted with any of them and therefore the views and opinions they have been propagating are solely their own.

However if these youth groups are merely fans of [Maj Gen] Muhoozi, then he deeply appreciates their support and feels honored by their confidence in him. The youth groups are discussing political issues, which as civilians they are entitled to but Brig. Muhoozi has no intention to enter political activity for the foreseeable future. As he has stated on several occasions when he is no longer a serving soldier in the UPDF he will make his decision about serving his country in other fields. Until then all groups that purport to represent him or his intentions should be viewed with some skepticism.”

Magezi’s reference to this statement means Muhoozi has not given in to the youths’ demand – and at least he will not in the “foreseeable future”.

MUHOOZI PROJECT

The term “Muhoozi project” – an alleged plot by Museveni to have his son succeed him – came up in 2013 when then coordinator of intelligence services Gen David Sejusa (formerly Tinyefuuza) claimed there was a plot to eliminate top government and military officers opposed to an alleged plan for Muhoozi to succeed Museveni.

Muhoozi has himself previously denied Sejusa’s claim, saying the Muhoozi project was non-existent.

Museveni, his father, told Aljazeera in 2013 that it was “for him [Muhoozi] and the people of Uganda [to decide], but it is not in the short run”.

It is not clear how short “the short run” would be: it is just a matter of time for Ugandans to find out if the Muhoozi project is fact or fiction.