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Ugandan President Museveni Removes Son From Army Role After Threatening Invasion Of Kenya

Ugandan President Museveni Removes Son From Army Role After Threatening Invasion Of Kenya
October 4, 2022

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has removed his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as commander of Uganda's land forces, the military said on Tuesday.

Kainerugaba was removed from the position after he repeatedly threatened on Twitter to invade neighbouring Kenya.

He was however promoted to the rank of a full general, the highest rank in the army and will retain his position as presidential adviser on special operations.

Kainerugaba, widely regarded as the de facto head of the military and his father's chosen successor, later said the comments were made in jest, Reuters reports.

In the statement announcing his replacement as land forces commander, the military said Kainerugaba had been promoted from lieutenant general to full general and would remain a senior presidential adviser for special operations. It gave no reason for the decision.

Kainerugaba is outspoken on social media, frequently trading barbs with opposition figures and weighing into politics, even though his military role bars him from doing so.

On Monday and Tuesday, he sent a series of provocative messages on Twitter, including proposing the unification of Kenya and Uganda and offering cows to marry Italy's likely next leader.

"It wouldn't take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi," Kainerugaba wrote, referring to Kenya's capital.

"Union is a MUST! No honourable men can allow these artificial, colonial borders anymore. If we our generation has men then these borders must fall!"

His comments attracted public outrage from Kenyans on social media.

Uganda's ministry of foreign affairs in a statement on Tuesday pledged its "peaceful co-existence" with neighbouring Kenya but failed to make any reference to Kainerugaba’s tweets.

After the military issued its statement on Tuesday, Kainerugaba retweeted a series of congratulatory messages, including several saying he should stand for president in the next election.

"We are going to have a celebration down Kampala Road for this rank. I thank my father for this great honor!" Kainerugaba tweeted.

Ugandan analysts and opposition leaders have long accused the 78-year-old Museveni of grooming his son to take over from him, but Museveni, who has been in power for 36 years, has repeatedly denied doing so.

On Monday, Kainerugaba asked his more than 600,000 Twitter followers how many cows should be offered as a bride price for Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing politician expected to be named Italy's prime minister this month.

"I would give her 100 Nkore cows immediately! For being fearless and true!!," he wrote.