Uganda’s defense ministry announced on Tuesday that the president’s powerful son Muhoozi Kainerugaba would no longer lead the country’s land forces, hours after a social media tirade by the outspoken scion caused an uproar in Kenya.
The ministry said President Yoweri Museveni also promoted his 48-year-old son to the rank of general, but analysts said the increase was likely a cosmetic move aimed at diminishing his standing in the region.
“In accordance with the powers entrusted to him as President and Commander-in-Chief, President Yoweri Museveni has promoted Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to the rank of general,” the ministry said in a statement.
Although Kainerugaba has repeatedly denied claims he intends to succeed his 78-year-old father – one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders – he has enjoyed a rapid rise in the ranks of the Ugandan army, often sparking controversy on social media.
The move followed an endorsement over the weekend by some senior officials from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), who chose Museveni as their nominee for the country’s 2026 presidential election.
Soon after, Kainerugaba sparked a firestorm on Twitter with tweets discussing plans to invade Kenya.
“We, my army and I, would not need two weeks to capture Nairobi,” he said Monday night before making an about-face.
“I would never beat up the Kenyan army because my father told me never to try! So our people in Kenya should relax!”
The uproar on social media forced Uganda’s foreign ministry to step in and release a statement expressing its “commitment to good neighborliness (and) peaceful coexistence” with Kenya.
As a soldier on duty, Kainerugaba is prohibited from publicly discussing political matters.
But that hasn’t stopped him from voicing his views on sensitive foreign policy issues and offering opinions on issues ranging from last year’s coup in Guinea to the brutal war in northern Ethiopia.
– ‘Lower his profile’ –
“A possible explanation for Muhoozi’s Twitter storm over the past few days is his father’s support for the 2026 elections by senior NRM officials over the weekend,” said Kristof Titeca, an expert on Central African affairs at the University of Antwerp.
“That may have triggered him as he may also be eyeing the 2026 election,” Titeca told AFP.
“It can be questioned whether this promotion actually brings with it more power. It could be perceived as a way to lower his profile and decrease his actual power.”
A Ugandan political scientist, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, agreed, saying “the elevation to general was a cosmetic move (by Museveni) so as not to upset his son”.
Kainerugaba said Tuesday’s announcement was cause for “a celebration.”
“I thank my father for this great honor,” he said on Twitter.
Kainerugaba will continue to serve as the president’s top-level adviser on special operations — a role that extends into the political sphere.
His foreign policy interventions are not limited to social media.
He is said to have been instrumental in the recent rapprochement between Uganda and Rwanda and was involved in a joint operation launched last year by Ugandan and Congolese forces against the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group in eastern DRC.
The prospect of Kainerugaba’s ascension to the presidency has angered opposition politicians and government critics, and forced some into exile.
Prominent author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled to Germany in February this year and claims to have been tortured in custody for insulting Museveni and Kainerugaba, whom he called “obese”, “cheap” and “baby despot”.
