The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) will not transform into a political party and will instead remain a civic organisation, pressure group and social movement operating within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), according to its communications director Andrew Mwenda.
Mwenda said he had been instructed by PLU chairman, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to formally clarify the organisation’s position amid speculation about its political future.
“I have been instructed by the chairman of PLU, [Gen Muhoozi], to inform the public that we do not intend to become a political party,” Mwenda said.
He added that PLU would pursue its objectives from within the NRM rather than establish a separate political vehicle.
“We shall remain a civic organization, pressure group and social movement within the NRM and we shall achieve all our goals within the NRM,” he said.
The statement seeks to settle longstanding speculation over whether PLU could eventually register as a political party, particularly given its growing political influence and mobilisation activities around Gen. Kainerugaba.
PLU has consistently described itself as a civic organisation, although its expanding presence in Uganda’s political space has generated debate over its relationship with the NRM and its long-term ambitions.
The organisation has also increasingly become associated with political mobilisation, with PLU-aligned politicians occupying positions in Parliament and government. In June, Gen. Kainerugaba reorganised the PLU leadership and appointed several senior political figures to its central committee, while reaffirming the group’s strategic alliance with the NRM.
Mwenda’s latest clarification therefore places PLU firmly within the NRM framework, indicating that the movement intends to use its influence to pursue its political and civic objectives without creating a competing party.
