Internal Affairs Minister Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire has issued a stern warning to a group allegedly plotting to amend the Ugandan Constitution to prevent citizens from electing the president by adult suffrage.
Otafiire expressed his strong opposition to any constitutional amendment that would remove adult suffrage from the Constitution, arguing that giving elective powers to small groups such as political party leaders or parliament, even if they claim to represent their constituents, is unacceptable.
The Constitution of Uganda, crafted in the spirit of a return to constitutional rule after the bush war, has undergone numerous changes. Experts in constitutionalism have warned that some amendments have eroded safeguards designed to prevent the country from sliding into dictatorship, anarchy, or a return to its dark past.
In 2017, then Igara West MP and current Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi’s proposal to remove the age limit clause from the Constitution was passed. Political observers noted that the removal of the age limit, which followed the earlier elimination of term limits, dismantled important checks against a life presidency. This move sparked concerns about the potential for indefinite rule.
President Museveni, who came to power in 1986, initially identified the problem of African leaders overstaying in power. However, Museveni himself has remained in power for nearly four decades. By the end of his current five-year term in 2026, he will have governed Uganda, a nation of 45.9 million people, for 40 years. Despite this, he is expected to seek reelection.
Otafiire, a former bush war fighter and one of the last National Resistance Army (NRA) veterans still serving in Museveni’s government, remains vocal about his views. Many of his fellow fighters have since fallen out with Museveni, their former commander during the bush war.
The Museveni-led bush war lasted five years following the disputed 1980 elections, which saw Apollo Milton Obote of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) emerge victorious. Despite poor electoral results, Museveni, then leading the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), chose to fight Obote’s government.
Otafiire, who participated in drafting the 1995 Uganda Constitution as a member of the Constituent Assembly (CA), emphasized that the framers of the Constitution were not foolish to insist on adult suffrage and a specific vote share for declaring a winner. He underscored the fundamental right of citizens to elect their leaders.
He advised those seeking to amend the Constitution to consult its original framers, while firmly stating that his belief in the importance of adult suffrage would remain unchanged until his last breath.
“We fought for democracy and the right to choose our leader. I have heard voices in Parliament suggesting that the president should be elected by parties. I respect that view, but I do not share it. Tell your colleagues pushing this idea to be humble enough to understand why we insisted on the president being elected by the people, with 51 percent of the population,” Otafiire said. “We were not stupid to insist on 51 percent. Why can’t they consult those of us who were there and ask why we did this? It is my belief, and it will remain my belief until the end.”
There have been concerns that as Museveni ages, it may become increasingly difficult for him to campaign across the country. In 2022, a group of NRM cadres proposed that the president be elected only by MPs, appointing Minister Chris Baryomunsi as their chief advisor.
As Museveni grows older, there have been calls for him to peacefully hand over power and facilitate Uganda’s first peaceful political transition since independence. Minister Norbert Mao disclosed the year Museveni had allegedly agreed to hand over power, but the president later dismissed Mao’s claims, indicating a potential rift between them.
Otafiire, known for his candidness, has made several controversial statements, especially within Museveni’s NRM party and government. Recently, he urged the youth to demand accountability, asserting that doing so is not hate speech, following the imprisonment of a former RCC for calling Speaker Anita Among corrupt.
