By Our Reporter
As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) internal elections heat up this Friday, political temperatures in Rukungiri District have reached boiling point. Two decorated bush war heroes—Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi and Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde—are locked in a fierce contest for the position of NRM District Chairperson, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown that has deeply divided the ruling party in the region.
Two Generals, One Battlefield
At the heart of the storm are two men who once fought side by side in the liberation struggle but now find themselves on opposite ends of the political battlefield. Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi Katugugu, the current Minister of Security and long-serving MP for Rujumbura County, is up against Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, a former Minister of Security and a one-time presidential contender now eyeing the Rukungiri Municipality MP seat.
Both men boast impressive credentials in military intelligence, having served in key roles in the NRA and UPDF during and after the bush war. But their political journeys have been anything but smooth, often marked by dramatic twists, high-profile arrests, and ministerial comebacks.
Checkered Political Histories
Gen. Tumukunde, a trained lawyer and former Director of Military Intelligence, was once a UPDF representative in Parliament. However, his career hit turbulence in 2005 after he criticized government moves to remove presidential term limits, leading to his arrest and prolonged detention. After a period in political exile, he made a dramatic return in 2016 as Minister of Security, only to be dropped in 2018. In 2020, he was charged with treason but the charges were dropped and then he ran for President in the 2021 elections, which he lost. He has kept a low profile since, re-emerging now to contest for MP of Rukungiri Municipality—a seat currently held by Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa, a close ally of his rival, Gen. Muhwezi.
Gen. Muhwezi, on the other hand, has had a resilient, albeit controversial, political career. He served as Director General of the Internal Security Organization and has represented Rujumbura County in Parliament since 1996, save for a brief hiatus between 2016 and 2021 when he was defeated by FDCs Turyamuhweza. He was Minister of Primary Education from 1996 until a censure over corruption in 1998, later served as Minister of Health from 2001 until 2006 when he was sacked and arrested over the infamous Global Fund scandal. Despite these setbacks, he returned to Cabinet as Minister for ICT National Guidance in 2015 and dropped in 2016. He was reappointed again in 2021 as Minister of Security after bouncing back in Parliament in 2021 elections.
NRM Power Struggle in Rukungiri
The contest for NRM District Chairperson is more than just a title—it’s a strategic move for control over the upcoming NRM primaries and influence in future Cabinet appointments. Whoever wins this battle will likely dictate the party’s local direction ahead of the 2026 general elections.
In a clear show of political chess, Gen. Tumukunde is backing Muhwezi’s opponent in Rujumbura, while Muhwezi is mobilizing against Tumukunde’s bid for Rukungiri Municipality. Behind the scenes, both are eyeing favor from President Museveni in hopes of Cabinet slots in the next reshuffle. In essence, it’s not just a district race—it’s a proxy war for national relevance and survival.
A District Divided
This generational and ideological clash has sent shockwaves through the NRM base in Rukungiri, with loyalties split and tensions rising. While both generals claim to be fighting for party unity and grassroots empowerment, their deep-rooted personal rivalry and mutual mistrust tell a different story.
As the dust settles on today’s elections, one thing is clear: the battle for Rukungiri is not merely about local party leadership—it’s a microcosm of the broader power struggles within the NRM and a glimpse into the high-stakes maneuvering that defines Ugandan politics.
