General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has declared that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) will secure 90% of the national vote in the upcoming general election, with Museveni himself receiving 85% support.

“We will capture the whole country, with Almighty God’s help,” Muhoozi said, emphasizing his confidence in a sweeping win for both the president and the ruling party.

While the NRM has historically maintained strong backing in several regions, elections in Uganda have frequently been mired in controversy from allegations of vote rigging and suppression to accusations of state-sponsored intimidation.

Muhoozi’s claims appear to be aimed at projecting dominance ahead of the 2026 contest, but recent polling data paints a more tempered reality.

An Afrobarometer survey indicates that 56% of Ugandans would vote for the NRM if elections were held today, with 70% approving of Museveni’s performance. However, only 31% of respondents expressed strong trust in the party, and just 39% said the same about the president figures that suggest solid, but far from overwhelming, support.

Muhoozi’s rising political profile has not been without controversy.

In 2025, both he and President Museveni were named in a submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which included testimonies from more than 200 individuals alleging torture, arbitrary arrests, and secret detentions.

Victims reportedly endured electric shocks, beatings, and psychological abuse, mostly targeting those affiliated with opposition leader Bobi Wine.

In April 2025, Muhoozi posted on X (formerly Twitter) boasting that he was holding Eddie Mutwe, Bobi Wine’s chief bodyguard, in his basement. He also shared a photo showing Mutwe with visible injuries and issued threatening remarks.

The Uganda Human Rights Commission condemned the incident as an unlawful detention and ordered Muhoozi to release Mutwe immediately or face constitutional contempt charges. Despite the backlash, Muhoozi’s rhetoric has remained combative, often blending appeals to divine authority with displays of military strength.

He regularly invokes God in public pronouncements, framing his actions as divinely sanctioned. Phrases like “God has chosen us to lead” and “With Almighty God’s help” are often paired with menacing statements, such as mocking international human rights bodies and boasting about detaining opposition figures.

This dual narrative mixing religious conviction with hardline military posture has unsettled both domestic and international observers, who view it as a deliberate strategy to consolidate power through fear and spiritual symbolism.

Under Museveni’s more than three-decade rule, Uganda has seen infrastructure improvements, particularly in road networks and electricity access, largely funded by Chinese loans.

Yet widespread corruption, patronage systems, and rising public debt have continued to plague service delivery. Many young Ugandans increasingly view the state as serving elites rather than the general population.

Critics argue that Muhoozi represents a continuation of that system, with little promise of democratic or governance reforms. His rapid ascent is viewed by some as paving the way for a dynastic handover rather than a legitimate democratic process.

Despite achieving a "medium human development" status for the first time in 2022 with a Human Development Index (HDI) score of 0.550 Uganda continues to face serious challenges.

Life expectancy remains low at 63 years, the average schooling duration is just six years, and access to essential services remains limited in rural regions.

As Uganda moves closer to the 2026 election, the tension between state power, opposition voices, and public frustration is likely to intensify. For many, Muhoozi’s bold claims are less a reflection of national consensus and more a signal of what could be a militarized, tightly controlled political transition.