The son of President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has deactivated his account on X, where he has been dropping controversial hottakes.
In violation of military convention, the 50-year-old army general has been more active in politics, rekindling discussions about his aspirations to succeed his father, who has held the position since 1986.
In a tweet on January 5, he threatened to decapitate Bobi Wine, the nation’s top opposition figure, which infuriated many.
Many people in the nation condemned Gen. Kainerugaba’s latest post in which he threatened to “cut off” Bobi Wine’s head, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi.
Bobi Wine stated that he could not take such threats lightly, notwithstanding the general’s apology for the tweet, which he portrayed as a jest.
https://x.com/HEBobiwine/status/1875983216739316085
A spokesperson for the Ugandan government played down the tweet, calling Gen. Kainerugaba’s social media posts “casual” and not necessarily indicative of an official statement.
Despite this, Museveni has defended his son as a “very good general,” and the army said that he used his constitutionally protected right to free speech.
Gen. Kainerugaba stated that “time has now come to leave and concentrate” on his military responsibilities in his final post on Friday, but he also pledged to “re-converge” with his one million followers in the future.
This is not the first time General Kainerugaba will deactivate his account. In 2022, he quit X but returned after a few days.
The general has come under fire from critics for remarks he made on social media that touched on topics that are prohibited for a serving soldier.
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Gen. Kainerugaba’s threat to invade other countries fuels diplomatic tensions
Other nations have also been incensed by Gen. Kainerugaba’s undiplomatic social media rant, as he previously stated that Uganda will support Tigray in the Ethiopian civil war and sided with Russia in the invasion of Ukraine.
He gained notoriety in 2022 for threatening to invade Kenya, which prompted his father to intervene and issue an apology.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba also previously threatened to invade the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which propelled the DRC to consider cutting diplomatic ties and collaborative projects with Uganda.
Although DRC officials have traditionally seen Kainerugaba’s remarks as perhaps distinct from President Museveni’s official position, they are now requesting that Ugandan authorities publicly clarify whether or not Kainerugaba’s comments accurately reflect the Ugandan government’s viewpoint.
The DRC’s Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba summoned Uganda’s Acting Chargé d’Affaires to seek clarification after he most recently vowed to target “white mercenaries” in the country’s eastern region starting in January 2025.
Sudan demanded an official apology from Uganda after Kainerugaba increased regional tensions with his statement on X (now deleted) in December 2024 by threatening to seize Khartoum, Sudan’s capital.
These remarks were denounced by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry as “reckless and irresponsible” and a blatant breach of international law. Uganda made an effort to disassociate itself from these statements, but Kainerugaba doubled down by calling for an apology from Sudan instead.
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Gen. Kainerugaba quit X, to focus on his military duties
The general added in his farewell letter to his X supporters that his religion and a renewed commitment to his military responsibilities as a general in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) were the driving forces for his decision to step down from the platform.
“It is on the instructions and blessings of my Lord Jesus Christ that I leave this social media and dedicate myself to my assignment to bring peace and security to our region,” his statement stated.
“To all my dear followers, it has been a great whirlwind and rousing journey together on these streets for the last 10 years since 2014,” he added.
He called his father “the greatest general of the resistance” and exhorted his supporters to keep up their support.
Although Museveni has denied that he is preparing Gen. Kainerugaba for the presidency, he is regarded as a potential successor to his long-serving father. Some people have criticised the general for organising support around the nation through rallies.
Since joining the army in 1999, his career has taken off. Local media have termed his rise to prominence the “Muhoozi Project”.
“I know you all love me, and that you will continue to follow me like the wind long after here,” he said in his farewell statement from X.