Africa

Museveni elevates son Muhoozi Kainerugaba to head Ugandan Military

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. (AFP)

By Mwangi Maina | Friday, March 22, 2024

Previously serving as his father's Senior Presidential Advisor in Charge of Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba now steps into a significant role within Uganda's military establishment.

Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has named his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as the new commander of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), entrusting him with the leadership and management of the country's armed forces.

Kainerugaba now assumes responsibility for overseeing command, control, and administration within the military, directly reporting to his father.

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Gen. Kainerugaba, known for his outspokenness, has expressed interest in running for the presidency in 2026, purportedly to succeed his father, who has governed the East African nation for over 37 years.

While opposition figures have accused Museveni of perpetuating a dynastic rule by grooming his son for succession, the president has refuted such claims.

Previously serving as his father's Senior Presidential Advisor in Charge of Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba now steps into a significant role within Uganda's military establishment.

General Muhoozi had already declared intentions to stand in the next general election and his supporters have been at the centre of a series of public, politically intoned events, including running aggressive grassroots lobbying countrywide.

This has violated a law barring serving army officers from engaging in partisan politics.