General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, President Yoweri Museveni’s eldest son has bounced back months after falling out of favour with his father following a controversial tweet.
Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appointed General Muhoozi, 49, as the new Chief of Defense Forces, pumping more steam into an eternal suspicion about grooming his son to take over the country.
It is part of a ‘slightly amended’ cabinet composition which still retains most of the old faces drafted in since 2021 including vice-president Rtd Major Jessica Alupo and prime minister Robina Nabbanja.
Meanwhile, under the new changes, Lt General Samuel Okiding will serve as General Muhoozi’s deputy army chief.
Okiding’s predecessor in the position, Lt General Peter Elwelu has been appointed presidential adviser.
The general bounced back as the new army chief, replacing General Wilson Mbasu after the latter’s promotion to Museveni’s cabinet was announced on Thursday.
Muhoozi who also worked as Mr. Museveni’s adviser on special operations was once commander of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) but was demoted in 2023 after an ill-advised ‘army invasion’ joke on Kenya which cost him some very bad press in Nairobi.
Presidential ambition in plain sight
Less than 24 hours after his high profile appointment General Muhoozi has once again resurfaced on the radar of Uganda’s rumour mill as Museveni’s hier apparent for the presidency.
His father’s critics had doubled down on the president for allegedly grooming General Muhoozi from an early age to succeed him when he decides to retire.
The general had never hidden his ardent desire to become Uganda’s president and even went as far as streamlining what he called ‘great plans’ for the Ugandan nation which he could not wait to implement.
He has on several occasions been quoted as saying he was going to succeed his father as Uganda’s next president but wondered when his ascendancy would happen as Museveni showed no sign of relinquishing power.
According to local reports which quoted General Muhoozi, he grew so impatient with his father’s presidential longevity that he famously quipped: ”I’m tired of waiting”.
Whatever Museveni thought of his son or his barely hidden lust for power, the septuagenarian had always kept it under his belt even as General Muhoozi hinted about plans in some quarters in government to torpedo his presidential ambition with plans of their own to replace his father.
Reacting to General Muhooozi’s appointment, Ugandan Josh Otruth described it as a ”lee way to the army taking over the country through the son”.
Mired in controversy
The general is no stranger to controversy, having been embroiled in a personal spat with his father’s archrival Bobi Wine, thanks to a tweet criticising the lineage of the rapper-turned politician. Stopping short of apologizing, he later deleted the tweet.
He was also accused of corruption after his wife’s firm won a $17 million contract for the delivery of medical oxygen during the coronavirus pandemic.
Muhoozi was also cricitised after allegedly ordering the arrest and torture of Kakwenza Rukira, a journalist for ‘insulting’ him on twitter.
Kakwenza reportedly apologized to Muhoozi under duress but was beaten according to some reports.
Museveni who turns 80 in September 2024, has been at the helm in Uganda since 1986 when his ‘bush war’ toppled his now late predecessor Milton Obote.
He won his sixth term in office in 2021, 25 years after the advent of democratic elections in Uganda in 1996.
