Kampala, March 22, 2024 – Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has appointed his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to head of the country’s military.
According to Reuters, the news was relayed in a statement by the nation’s defence ministry on Friday.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba, a 48-year-old general in the Ugandan military widely believed to be his father’s successor would replace Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, who was removed and appointed as a junior minister.
In 2002 Muhoozi caused much controversy when he threatened on his X page to invade neighboring Kenya.
This prompted his father President Museveni to remove him as the commander of Uganda’s land forces.
In his X posts, Muhoozi also declared openly his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine.
“The majority of mankind (that are non-white) support Russia’s stand in Ukraine.” he had tweeted.
Muhoozi is globally perceived as being prepared to take over from his father, Yoweri Museveni (79) who has ruled the East African country for nearly 40 years.
In Uganda, serving military officers are barred from involvement in politics according to the law, but this has not prevented Muhoozi from fully participating in Ugandan politics.
He often exchanged words with top Ugandan opposition politicians and even formed his own political pressure group.
Muhoozi remains a polarising figure feared by many, but also praised for philanthropic acts, such as paying students’ medical costs or footing the hotel bill for the cash-strapped national basketball team during the 2021 AfroBasket championships. (Reuters)
