Court throws out case against PLU, deepening aura of MK’s untouchable power

The High Court has dismissed a suit against the Patriotic League of Uganda with costs, a ruling political observers say further cements the growing legal and political strength of Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s camp ahead of 2026.

Kampala, Uganda: The High Court in Kampala has delivered a sweeping dismissal of a suit targeting the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a pressure group closely associated with First Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in a ruling that political observers say solidifies the growing legal and political invincibility of MK’s camp.

In a decree issued by Hon Justice Simon Peter Kinobe, the court not only threw out Civil Suit No. 216 of 2025 but did so on every conceivable legal front, leaving the plaintiffs empty-handed and burdened with costs.

The Judge found that the lead plaintiff lacked locus standi, had no cause of action, and failed to appear to prosecute the case, fatal flaws that resulted in outright dismissal with costs awarded to PLU and its co-defendants.

“The 1st Plaintiff does not have locus standi to file the suit on behalf of the 2nd Plaintiff, a regulated political party; the suit does not disclose a cause of action against the Defendants, and the suit is dismissed for non-appearance of the Plaintiffs under Order 17 Rule 4 of the Civil Procedure Rules SI 71-1,” reads in part the ruling dated January 12, 2026, seen by this publication.

“The suit be and is hereby dismissed with costs to the Defendants,” Justice Kinobe added.

For analysts, the ruling is more than a routine procedural defeat. It is being read as another sign that Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s political ecosystem is no longer a fringe force but a legally fortified power centre.

“This was not a close call,” said one Kampala-based legal analyst. “The suit collapsed entirely. When courts dismiss on standing, substance, and prosecution all at once, it sends a strong message about who is prepared, and who is not.”

The defendants were represented by Counsel Usaama Sebuufu of K&K Advocates, one of the country’s most formidable legal outfits, reinforcing perceptions that MK-aligned formations are now operating with top-tier legal, political and institutional backing.

The fact that the plaintiffs failed to even appear for final disposal has fuelled speculation that the case was either rushed, politically speculative, or abandoned after it became clear the odds were insurmountable.

PLU, widely viewed as the ideological engine behind Muhoozi’s national mobilisation, has in recent months expanded its footprint across youth, digital activism and elite political circles—often attracting controversy but increasingly surviving legal and political fire.

While the court made no political pronouncements, the outcome is already reverberating beyond the courtroom. “To many, this is not just a legal win,” said a political observer. “It reinforces the narrative that MK’s camp is organised, protected, and steps ahead, while his challengers are disjointed and legally careless.”

With costs now awarded against the plaintiffs, the ruling may also deter future litigation aimed at PLU, further consolidating the aura of legal untouchability surrounding Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s expanding political machinery.

As Uganda edges closer to the 2026 elections, the question increasingly being whispered in political corridors is no longer whether MK is powerful, but how far that power now reaches, and who can realistically challenge it.