Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has deepened a sweeping shake-up within the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), replacing long-serving Secretary General David Kabanda with Fadil Twalla and ordering an immediate handover of office. Uganda Economic Reports
The changes come hours after Muhoozi announced a restructuring of the PLU Central Committee, retaining only four members of the outgoing team and signalling what he described as a “fresh team” to confront new challenges facing the organisation.
In a statement posted on X on Monday morning, Muhoozi named Twalla as the new Secretary General.
“The new General Secretary of PLU is Hon. Fadil Twalla. I will work closely with him to achieve our objectives. I thank Hon. Kabanda for his 3 years of excellent service. He set the standard high for the position,” Muhoozi wrote.
He subsequently directed PLU National Vice Chairman Michael Nuwagira, popularly known as Toyota, to oversee the transition.
“The National Vice Chairperson of PLU, Mr. Michael Nuwagira, is hereby instructed to organise the handover/takeover ceremony of the position of General Secretary of PLU as soon as possible. From Hon. Kabanda to Hon. Fadil. All PLU Ministers and Members of Parliament must attend,” he said.
The appointment marks the end of Kabanda’s three-year tenure as Secretary General, a period during which he became one of the most visible faces of the organisation and a key architect of its nationwide mobilisation efforts.
Kabanda’s removal comes amid growing speculation about his political future. In recent weeks, the Kasambya County MP publicly expressed frustration with active politics, citing pressure, threats and blackmail. He later deactivated his X account after announcing plans to retire from politics, although sources indicated that Muhoozi persuaded him to remain active within the movement.
The latest developments also follow Muhoozi’s decision to overhaul the PLU Central Committee. Of the prominent figures who served on the previous committee, only Michael Nuwagira, Edwin Karugire, Michael Mawanda and Andrew Mwenda have been retained.
Those omitted from the new structure include Kabanda, State Minister Balaam Barugahara, State Minister Lillian Aber, businessman Frank Gashumba and veteran mobiliser Henry Basaliza, among others.
Twalla, a former legislator and longtime Muhoozi ally, now assumes one of the most influential positions within PLU at a time when the organisation is repositioning itself ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The rapid changes suggest Muhoozi is consolidating a smaller inner circle while rebuilding the movement’s leadership structure. While he praised Kabanda’s contribution and described his service as exemplary, the appointment of a new Secretary General underscores the scale of the reorganisation underway within PLU.
More appointments to the Central Committee are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
