NAIROBI, Kenya – Ugandan authorities are playing damage control after the president’s military commander son claimed he could conquer Kenya’s capital Nairobi in two weeks.
Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted it had “strong bilateral relations” with its neighbour despite the warlike tweets from Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the 48-year-old son of Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni.
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In a tweet on Monday, Kainerugaba had said: “It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi.”
Despite the controversy, Kainerugaba was actually promoted to a four-star general on Tuesday, although he was removed as the head of Uganda’s land forces.
The tweet storm started after Kainerugaba tweeted in praise of Kenya’s immediate outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta, who he often refers to as his big brother. “Just spoke to my big brother, Afande Uhuru. An incredible man! I love him for his courage, honesty and intelligence! He will visit Uganda soon.”
He then went on to add that Kenyatta should have changed the constitution to seek a third term. “My only problem with my beloved big brother is that he didn’t stand for a third term. We would have won easily!”. Minutes later he tweeted Haha! I love my Kenyan relatives. Constitution? Rule of law? You must be joking! For us there is only the Revolution and you will soon learn about it!”
The tweets ignited angry responses from Kenyans on Twitter, commonly known as KoT, with many questioning if the account had been hacked, others laughing off the tweets as a joke while others, including politicians, called on the general to delete the tweet and to respect Kenya’s sovereignty.
Kainerugaba is no stranger to controversy, his erratic and unfiltered tweeting has earned him the moniker “the Tweeting General” from critics.
Some of his previous tweets have caused “discomfort” in the diplomatic community due to his close relationship with the president and his standing in the Ugandan army.
In February Kainerugaba became the highest ranked African military leader to openly support Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, tweeting: “The majority of mankind (that are non-white) support Russia’s stand in Ukraine. Putin is absolutely right! When the USSR parked nuclear armed missiles in Cuba in 1962 the West was ready to blow up the world over it. Now when NATO does the same they expect Russia to do differently?” Ugandan officials dismissed the sentiments as personal and not official.
He has been forced to delete some of his tweets numerous times. He briefly deactivated his Twitter account in April of this year, following a rebuke by his father during his 48th birthday celebrations, only to reactivate it months later. In May this year, the Government Assurance Committee of Parliament summoned Kainerugaba for “misuse” of his Twitter account, after a fallout from yet another tweet in which he referred to European Parliament legislators as “jokers” for opposing Uganda’s oil project. “I know the majority of our brothers and sisters in Europe laugh much harder than us at the few jokers in the EU parliament,” he wrote. He ignored the summons.
Most of the pushback to his tweets have questioned Kainerugaba’s military credentials. He was appointed by his father as the commander of land forces in the army in June 2021 having previously served as the commander of the Special Forces Command.
It was the second time Museveni had promoted his son in the hierarchy of the army in a span of six months. 76-year-old President Museveni is one of Africa’s longest serving leaders – he is currently serving a sixth term in office and has been in power since 1986.
It is rumoured that the president is grooming Muhoozi to take over the presidency once he retires.
Uganda’s youthful opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly referred to as Bobi Wine reacted saying, “Dear KENYANS, you now understand what it means to live in Uganda under Gen. Museveni and his son, whom he gifted the highest military ranks and put him in charge of our land forces! Sadly, beneath the senseless tweets lies a monster who brutalises and tortures our people for fun!”.
Uganda’s government has distanced itself from Kainerugaba’s cryptic war messaging, saying the government does not conduct its foreign policy and other official business through social media, adding that Uganda is committed to peaceful coexistence with Kenya.
