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The veteran leader, who has been in power for 38 years, has no rivals, leading many to believe he is grooming his son for the top job.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has promoted his son to military commander, raising concerns that he is grooming his eldest son for the presidency.
The Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs announced late on Thursday that General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has been appointed Chief of Defense Forces, ending a rapid rise through the ranks of Uganda’s military since the late 1990s.
Appointment and Promotion https://t.co/rDoZRQFaKq pic.twitter.com/svkvedX1lO
— Uganda People’s Defense Forces (@MODVA_UPDF) March 22, 2024
The veteran leader’s move sparked speculation that he was preparing to hand over his son, 49, as president. In a now-deleted post on X from last year, Mr Kainerugaba said he intended to run for president in 2026, but also reportedly denied claims he was eyeing the top job. That’s what it means.
Recently, the president’s son has been holding rallies across the country, violating laws that prohibit military officers from engaging in partisan politics. But Kainerugaba insists that his work, including the creation of his activist group Uganda Patriotic Alliance, is nonpartisan.
“Muhoozi Project”
Museveni, 79, first seized power by force in 1986 and has been elected six times since then. Since he has no rivals within the ruling National Resistance Movement party, many believe the military will have a say in choosing his successor.
Mr. Kainerugaba’s supporters say he offers an opportunity for a peaceful transfer of power in the former British colony, which could be the first since independence in 1962. Critics argue that Mr Kainerugaba’s rise is leading the East African country towards a hereditary system.
Kainerugaba joined the army in the late 1990s and rose rapidly through the ranks in what was dubbed the “Muhzi Project.” Both Mr. Museveni and Mr. Kainerugaba deny the existence of any plans to elevate him to the presidency, but Mr. Kainerugaba’s appointment as army chief, along with ministerial reshuffles, suggests that a transition may be underway. are doing.
It has long been clear to many Ugandans that Kainerugaba is the heir apparent, but the government has been harsh on those who discuss the issue in the past.
In 2013, police suspended two independent newspapers and two radio stations for 10 days after reporting that a confidential memo from a senior general had been leaked that claimed Mr Museveni was preparing Mr Kainerugaba’s successor. Closed.
As a senior military official, Kainerugaba is prohibited from speaking publicly about political issues, but he frequently intervenes in controversial discussions, causing diplomatic headaches for Uganda.
He previously served as commander of the land forces, but was removed from his post after he threatened to invade neighboring Kenya, which he later said was a joke.
Museveni apologized to Kenya for the unrest, but still defended his only son as a “very good general” and promoted him to that rank just days after the unrest broke out.
Kainerugaba declared last year that Uganda would “send soldiers to protect Moscow if it is threatened by imperialists” and accused Western countries of sharing “useless pro-Ukrainian propaganda”.
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