Former National Resistance Movement (NRM) spokesperson and Eastern Region Member of Parliament for Older Persons, Ofwono Opondo, has challenged anyone seeking to replace President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to demonstrate greater political tolerance and a stronger commitment to dialogue instead of relying on what he described as crude power.
Opondo made the remarks while appearing on Capital FM’s weekly political talk show, The Capital Gang, where he discussed leadership, political tolerance and the qualities required of anyone aspiring to take over the country’s highest office.
According to Opondo, Museveni’s potential successor must be willing to engage political opponents through constructive discussions, listen to differing opinions and demonstrate a greater willingness to tolerate criticism.
“Whoever wants to replace President Museveni must do more than he has done in terms of tolerance and verbal engagement, rather than using crude power,” Opondo said.
The legislator’s remarks come at a time when questions about Uganda’s political future and the eventual transfer of power continue to generate debate among political leaders, opposition figures and supporters of the ruling NRM party.
Museveni has been in power since 1986, making the question of succession one of the country’s longstanding political issues. Discussions about who could eventually succeed him have continued to attract attention, particularly as different political figures position themselves for leadership.
Opondo’s comments suggest that anyone hoping to assume the presidency should be judged not only by their political ambitions but also by their willingness to accommodate opposing views and resolve disagreements through dialogue.
His emphasis on verbal engagement points to the importance of political communication in managing disagreements, particularly in a country where relations between the government and opposition have frequently been contentious.
The former NRM spokesperson appeared to argue that a future leader should demonstrate an ability to handle political competition without resorting to excessive force or intimidation.
Such an approach, he suggested, would require a level of tolerance that goes beyond what he believes has been demonstrated by the incumbent.
However, Opondo’s remarks did not, in the statement provided, identify a specific individual seeking to replace Museveni or outline the particular incidents that informed his assessment.
