Gen. Muhoozi has all qualities for president

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OPINION

By Amlan Tumusiime

Succession by competition is totally different from succession by birth. Succession by competition in politics refers to the process of leadership transition where a president is chosen through a contested, often competitive mechanism rather than an automatic, predetermined hereditary line.

This is what the National Unity Platform president, Robert Kyagulanyi, and some of his foreign-based allies are failing to understand.

On several occasions, Kyagulanyi and some Western media have said President Yoweri Museveni is planning to “install” his son — the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba — as Uganda’s next president. This is wrong and misleading.

Gen. Muhoozi, just like any other Ugandan, has a constitutional right to contest for president as long as he possesses the constitutional requirements for one to contest, and, of course, Muhoozi meets all the qualifications.

Kyagulanyi should be reminded that President Museveni is a champion of democracy and cannot just “install” Muhoozi as president. If Muhoozi is to contest for president, he will offer himself through an organised electoral process and compete with others, and citizens will choose the best candidate. He will not be installed as Kyagulanyi wants the public to believe.

This kind of politics has happened in East Africa, Africa and the world in general.

This article analyses several African presidents who have been succeeded by their sons. Togo’s President, Faure Gnassingbé, succeeded his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, in 2005. In 2001, Joseph Kabila of DR Congo took power following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire Kabila. In Gabon, President Omar Bongo led Gabon from 1967 to 2009 and was succeeded by his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, in 2009, until he was overthrown in August 2023 and replaced by President Brice Oligui Nguema, who first led the military transition government as interim president and was later overwhelmingly voted in with over 90% in May last year.

In Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta was elected president in 2013, years after his father, Jomo Kenyatta, who was the first president of Kenya. In 2021, following the death of President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad, his son, Mahamat Deby, took over as head of the transitional military council. In Mauritius, Anerood Jugnauth was succeeded by his son, Pravind Jugnauth.

Is Africa’s succession politics of father-to-son handover different from the rest of the world? In the US (2001), George W. Bush became the first modern president whose father (President George H.W Bush Senior) had also been elected president. The sixth president, John Quincy Adams, served from 1825 to 1829 and was the son of the second president, John Adams. Bush also became the first US president to hold the position longer than his father. In East and South Asia, there have been many daughters of heads of state who have been elected to the same position, such as South Korea’s former president Park Guen-hye, who served as the 11th, from 2013 to 2017.

Guen-hye is the eldest daughter of Park Chung Hee, the third president of South Korea. Former Philippines president Corazon Aquino served as 11th president, and her son, Benigno Simeon Aquino III, served as the 15th president of the Philippines. In India, Indira Gandhi served as prime minister after her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was the first prime minister of India and also her son, Rajiv Gandhi, as well served as prime minister from 1984 to 1989.

In Pakistan, in a rare occurrence, Asif Ali Zardari took over from his wife, Benazir Bhutto, following her assassination in December 2007, becoming the 11th president of Pakistan.

Kyagulanyi keeps accusing President Museveni of appointing his family members in his government. This is normal and practiced world over. In his first administration, US President Donald Trump appointed his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, as his senior White House advisors. In his second term, Trump has appointed Charles Kushner (father-in-law to Ivanka Trump) as US Ambassador to France. Massad Boulos (father-in-law to Tiffany Trump) is a senior advisor on Arab and Middle East affairs. Kimberly Guilfoyle (engaged to Donald Trump Jr) is a US Ambassador to Greece.

Jesus recruited his two cousins, James and John, sons to Salome, Mary’s sister, among his 12 disciples. Jesus was baptised by his brother, John. Can we call this religious nepotism? Prophet Muhammad recruited his wife (Khadija), together with his daughters, to spread Islam, and this is the reason why Khadija is widely referred to as the mother of believers in the Holy Quran.

Therefore, President Museveni appointing and working with some of his relatives is normal, and even prophets did the same. Some of us are supporting Muhoozi not because he is the son of President Museveni. We are supporting him because he has already demonstrated leadership skills. Gen. Muhoozi is primarily credited with building and professionalising the Special Forces Command.

Muhoozi has been involved in major military operations, and his direct role in resolving the Kigali-Kampala conflict peacefully, which led to the reopening of the Katuna border, demonstrated his true leadership skills. People close to Muhoozi say he is a very serious man when it comes to national duty. He also hates corruption.

Therefore, we are proud of him, and we shall continue supporting him, especially in his fight against corruption.

The writer is an NRM Cadre