The powerful Security Minister and former spy master, Major General Jim Muhwezi has been overwhelmingly defeated by a retired junior army officer, Lieutenant Moses Mushabe, in the internal National Resistance Movement party race for the position of National Chairperson of the NRM Veterans League.
The victory of Lt Moses Mushabe over the former spy master indicates shifting dynamics within its veteran ranks.
Mushabe secured 1,047 votes to defeat Muhwezi, who garnered 570. Also in the race were Jackson Walusimbi, who managed seven votes and Titus Erisa Kiwanuk with 11.
Mushabe, who serves as NRM chairperson for Isingiro District, secured the win during the ongoing NRM Delegates Conference at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala.
Delegates “soundly defeated” Muhwezi, according to eyewitness accounts, in what many described as a David-versus-Goliath contest both politically and militarily. The seat comes with a place on the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Muhwezi, long regarded as a party heavyweight, boasts a legacy of senior roles in Uganda’s security and government. He is currently Minister of Security, a former Director General of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and a long-serving Member of Parliament for Rujumbura County. Despite this formidable record and expectations of an easy win, he was outmaneuvered by Mushabe, whose candidacy gained traction among delegates frustrated with unfulfilled promises to veterans.
Mushabe, regarded as a rising grassroots figure, declared his interest in the veterans’ league seat just two weeks ago. His campaign focused on veterans’ welfare, poverty alleviation, and delayed benefits. His decisive victory was met with jubilant celebrations, both at Kololo and online, where supporters praised him as a fresh voice for veterans.
Mushabe’s win challenges traditional hierarchies rooted in military seniority especially in a party still dominated by figures from the 1980s Bush War.
Muhwezi, whose recent parliamentary primary victory was upheld by the NRM tribunal has not commented publicly on the loss. Mushabe will serve from 2026 to 2031 with expectations that he will prioritize veteran welfare during his tenure.
The NRM Delegates Conference continues this week, with more CEC positions at stake as the party prepares for the 2026 national elections. The upset reveals a reality of both politics and the military ranks do not always guarantee victory.
