Kasolo signals smooth 2031 transition under Gen Muhoozi amid succession debate

At a thanksgiving ceremony in Kyotera District on Sunday, Uganda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo made a direct statement about the country's political future: a peaceful transfer of power would occur in 2031, he said, and it would happen under Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. The remarks, delivered to hundreds of supporters, diplomats, and guests gathered to celebrate his recent Cabinet appointment and parliamentary election victory, represent an unusually explicit public endorsement of the military chief's presidential ambitions at a moment when Uganda's succession question has become an open subject of national debate.

Kasolo framed the 2031 transition as a fulfillment of what opposition parties have long demanded—an orderly, peaceful handover of power rather than a contested or chaotic one. "The opposition has on many occasions called for a peaceful transition in the country's governance," he said. "Ugandans will witness this transition in 2031, and government business will continue without disruption." The statement carries weight because it comes from a senior government figure speaking in an official capacity, not from party activists or anonymous sources. Gen. Kainerugaba, the current military chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has been publicly linked to a 2031 presidential bid through organizations like the Patriotic League of Uganda, but a Cabinet minister's direct public endorsement of his candidacy marks a notable escalation in how openly the succession is being discussed at the highest levels of government.

Kasolo's appointment in May, followed by his swearing-in in June, gives Kyotera District—his home region—a direct line to the central government at a moment when the district is actively seeking investment, agricultural market access, education partnerships, and development support. At the ceremony, he outlined concrete plans to leverage his new position for regional benefit. He promised to work with international partners to open markets for Kyotera's agricultural products—matooke, tomatoes, cabbages, and coffee—and to secure scholarship and bursary opportunities for Ugandan students to study abroad. He also proposed an innovative arrangement: pairing selected sub-counties and town councils in Kyotera with foreign diplomatic missions, so that ambassadors could become direct development partners in their linked areas.

The diplomatic presence at the event underscored the international dimension of Kasolo's role. The Algerian Ambassador, Mourad Almokran, served as guest of honour and pledged cooperation in promoting development across Kyotera and Uganda. Other ambassadors in attendance included representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Venezuela, Pakistan, Sudan, and Libya, as well as Muhammad Jibril, Director of the Muslim World League. Each pledged support for economic development initiatives. Ambassador Almokran emphasized that cooperation between Uganda and foreign missions should extend beyond formal diplomacy into practical initiatives that directly benefit communities—trade, education, investment, and shared economic interests.

Kasolo also holds the position of NRM Vice Chairperson for the Central Region (Buganda), a role that places him at the center of party mobilization and political activity across the region. This dual positioning—as both a foreign affairs minister with diplomatic reach and a senior party figure with regional influence—gives his remarks about 2031 particular resonance. He is not speaking as a backbench politician or a party operative; he is speaking as someone embedded in both the government and the party apparatus.

Uganda's Constitution provides that the President is elected through universal adult suffrage by secret ballot and serves a five-year term, with presidential elections held at the end of each term, subject to the constitutional and electoral framework. The 2031 election will follow this process. Kasolo's statement does not change the constitutional requirement for an election; rather, it signals how the government and its senior figures are publicly framing the succession—not as an open contest but as a managed, orderly transition that will satisfy the opposition's long-standing calls for peaceful power transfer. Whether that framing will hold, and whether the 2031 election will unfold as Kasolo has described, remains to be seen. What is clear is that Uganda's political succession, once a subject discussed in whispers and speculation, is now being addressed directly by senior government officials in public forums, with ambassadors and international observers present to witness it.