Lt. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who leads the Ugandan army’s land forces, looks on during his birthday party in Entebbe, Uganda May 7, 2022
The United States may reconsider its long-standing security partnership with Uganda following provocative social media posts by Uganda’s army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni.
Jim Risch, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that Muhoozi’s statements could prompt Washington to reassess military cooperation and sanctions with Kampala.
In posts on X on Saturday, Muhoozi accused the U.S. Embassy in Kampala of aiding opposition leader Bobi Wine amid a security operation earlier this month. Risch described Muhoozi’s later apology—where he deleted the tweets and claimed he had been “fed wrong information”—as “hollow” and inadequate.
“Commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba has crossed a red line, and now the U.S. must reevaluate its security partnership, which includes sanctions and military cooperation with Uganda,” Risch said. “The president’s son, and likely successor, cannot just delete tweets and issue hollow apologies. The U.S. will not tolerate this level of instability and recklessness when American personnel, U.S. interests, and innocent lives in the region are at stake.”
Muhoozi’s tweets, now deleted, alleged collusion between U.S. diplomats and Bobi Wine during or after a January 16 raid on the opposition leader’s home—claims that the U.S. Embassy has not publicly verified. He also announced a suspension of cooperation between the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the U.S., including joint regional operations.
Hours later, Muhoozi retracted his statements, saying he had been misinformed and had “spoken with the U.S. Ambassador,” assuring that military cooperation would “continue as usual.” He characterized the reversal as an effort to preserve relations with “great friends.”
Risch’s warning underscores deeper concern in Washington about Uganda’s political climate. His comments follow U.S. lawmakers’ questioning of the credibility of Uganda’s January 15 presidential election, in which President Museveni secured another term amid allegations of irregularities.
Tensions between the two nations have been growing amid reports of election-related violence, crackdowns on opposition supporters, and arrests linked to the polls, particularly targeting Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform supporters.
