State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Ateenyi, has claimed that Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba is enjoying rising popularity across the country, citing new opinion polls showing strong support from both ruling party and opposition supporters.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Ateenyi said recent surveys conducted by unnamed research agencies indicate that General Muhoozi commands significant backing among members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), as well as from opposition-leaning voters.
According to the minister, the polls place Muhoozi’s support among NRM members at 88.95 percent, while support among opposition supporters stands at 81.5 percent.
This, he said, translates to an average approval rating of 85.23 percent across the political divide.
“Recent opinion polls indicate growing national support for General Muhoozi Kainerugaba across both NRM and opposition supporters,” Ateenyi stated.
He added that the surveys were conducted across multiple sub-regions in Uganda and involved a wide demographic range, including youth, senior citizens, women, and men.
Ateenyi attributed the reported surge in support to what he described as growing public confidence in Muhoozi’s leadership vision and national programs, particularly those associated with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), where he serves as a senior figure.
“This reflects broad national appeal and growing confidence in his vision and leadership,” he said, while expressing gratitude to Ugandans for what he termed as overwhelming support.
However, the claims come without independent verification, as the research agencies cited were not disclosed and detailed methodology of the surveys was not made public.
Political analysts have previously cautioned against relying on undisclosed polling data, especially in politically sensitive contexts.
General Muhoozi, who has increasingly taken on a more visible political role in recent years, is widely seen as a key figure in Uganda’s future leadership landscape.
His growing public engagements and mobilization efforts under the PLU banner have drawn both support and criticism from different quarters.
The latest claims by Ateenyi are likely to intensify debate over Muhoozi’s political trajectory, particularly amid ongoing discussions about generational leadership transition within Uganda’s political scene.