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THE UGANDA ARMY CHIEF NOW IS TMuhoozi Kainerugaba, THE SON OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT. FIND OUT THE MAJOR REASONS WHY HE APPOINTED HIS SON AS THE NEW ARMY CHIEF IN THE COUNTRY.
President MUSEVENI has announced his son as the new army chief.
The defense ministry has announced that the President, .made the announcement.
At 48 years old, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba is widely believed to be his father’s potential successor and has previously sparked controversy with his statements.
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The defense ministry’s statement confirmed Kainerugaba’s new role, stating that he replaces Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, who has been reassigned as a junior minister.
This appointment comes after as he removed his son from his position as commander of Uganda’s land forces in 2022, following Kainerugaba’s provocative remarks on social media.
In the past, Kainerugaba drew attention by threatening to invade neighboring Kenya and expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the conflict in Ukraine.
His vocal presence on social media has raised eyebrows, especially considering Uganda’s laws that prohibit serving military officers from engaging in politics.
Despite these legal constraints, Kainerugaba has been actively involved in political discourse, frequently engaging in exchanges with opposition figures.
Additionally, he has established a pressure group aimed at mobilizing political support, a move that has garnered criticism from both his detractors and opposition members.
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With President Museveni nearing four decades in power, speculation regarding a succession plan has intensified, with Kainerugaba often positioned as a potential successor. Mr. Museveni, a six-term president, is expected to run in Uganda’s next elections, in 2026, and to continue tightening his grip over the lush, landlocked nation. But his advancing age and tensions among his close associates in the military and governing party have rekindled talk about an alleged plan from a decade ago in which it was claimed that he was grooming his son for power.
Mr. Museveni has repeatedly denied such a plan, which is commonly referred to as the “Muhoozi Project.”
Since coming to power in 1986, Mr. president a key Western ally, has ruled the country with an iron fist, cracking down on press freedom, jailing opposition leaders, and having his critics tortured. Mr. Museveni, his son, and other top Ugandan officials were accused of crimes against humanity in a submission filed last year at the International Criminal Court.
Mr. President also signed a widely condemned anti-gay law last year that included a life sentence for anyone engaging in gay sex and was considered among the harshest in the world. In August, the United Nations human rights office in Uganda closed after the government declined to renew an agreement allowing it to function in the country.
General Kainerugaba is the eldest child and only son of Mr. Museveni, who also has three daughters. His first name, Muhoozi, means “the avenger,” the president has said. The son, who attended military schools in the United States and Britain, has also served as the commander of the Ugandan military’s land forces and as the head of an elite unit of special forces responsible for protecting Mr. Museveni and his interests.
In recent months, General Kainerugaba has been trying to polish his image and consolidate his support nationwide. He has been meeting politicians and attending rallies, actions that critics say violate rules barring active-duty army officers in Uganda from participating in politics.
For months now, he has refrained from sharing provocative tweets, which in the past have sometimes angered his father. He has also assumed the chairmanship of the Patriotic League of Uganda, a nonpartisan group that he says aims to foster national pride.
On Friday, some Ugandan observers said that General Kainerugaba’s appointment allowed Mr. Museveni not only to monitor the army closely but also to keep everyone guessing as succession politics brew and the election draws nearer.
“It seems to position the son in a way that is strategic so that he can run the family estate in case the father was to pass on,” Michael Mutyaba, a Ugandan researcher and political analyst, said in a telephone interview.
The president, Mr. Mutyaba added, “likes to stay unpredictable, which is one way he keeps power.”
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