By Stephen Lwetutte
LONDON-UNITED KINGDOM/NEWSDAY: Ugandan veteran strongman President Museveni, typical of his african peers, thinly conceals his desire and wish to be succeeded by his elder son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who has unusually rapidly scaled the military ranks to the rank of full General.
The circumstances of his latest promotion on Tuesday, to full General are particularly bizarre and follow a barrage of insensitive tweets from him towards neighbouring Kenya, that have precipitated a diplomatic spat.
Four time Presidential candidate,Col Kiiza Besigye tweeted after the news of Muhoozi’s promotion; “He (Muhoozi) is eased from office of Commander of Land Forces and remains Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations! Kenya may be one of the Special Operations!”
National Unity Platform leader Bobi Wine rallied the world not to sit back as the nation gets into more mess.
“Museveni and his son have been the chief perpetrators and beneficiaries of the worst human rights violations against our people. All these actions are meant to shield them from accountability for crimes against humanity,” Bobi Wine said.
He added that, ” Let me sound a warning to all governments and international organisations which continue to work with and support Gen. Museveni’s regime of blood – you can see what you have been funding and sustaining all along. It is time to say ENOUGH, because indifference is complicity!”
But Gen Muhoozi was all praises for his father and after the news of his promotion, he tweeted promising fireworks. “We are going to have a celebration down Kampala Road for this rank. I thank my father for this great honor.”
Over the years, Uganda’s First Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has held very senior military positions in his father’s regime, including the positions of Commander of the Special Forces Commander (in charge of Presidential Protection, VVIP and sensitive national object) and lately Commander of Land forces as well as Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations.
In that sense, he is not a novice and should have accrued enough experience to be able to navigate the political and diplomatic sensibilities that come with that territory. Increasingly, he has taken on very sensitive inter-state relations assignments on behalf of his father, including receiving and meeting foreign dignitaries at home and abroad.
He is credited with restoring the warm relations between Uganda and Rwanda, something that had eluded national, regional and international diplomats. He regularly makes seemingly official Uganda position, however controversial, on various international matters, one of the most recent being Uganda’s support and solidarity with Russia on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Previously, he has made other controversial statements on sensitive international matters such as the conflict in Ethiopia, Guinea and DR Congo. What point am l belabouring here? All the Statements Gen Muhoozi has made are evidently done with the tacit approval of his father, but he just happens to be blunt as opposed to his sly father.
It is noteworthy that in the raging diplomatic spat with Kenya following Gen Muhoozi’s uncharitable tweets towards Kenya, he gets away with a promotion to a full rank of a General, the highest in the Ugandan military, disguised as a removal from his role as Commander Land Forces – it is probably the first a senior Military Officer is rewarded for indiscipline.
I am sure that this irony, coupled with the plain condescending Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, would not be lost on the Kenyans who might rightly consider it as a kick in the teeth.
Meanwhile Gen Muhoozi retains his other position as Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, except with a higher rank. At a personal level, President Museveni has publicly stated that Gen Muhoozi was born to avenge for any wrong or harm that anyone ever caused to him.
If the Kenyans are incandescent with rage about Muhoozi’s mere statements, they should, leak their wounds and spare a thought for Ugandans, especially in the opposition, whose fate lies in the hands of this General.
Recently, the whole country almost came to a standstill in honour of his birthday with roads in the capital city Kampala being closed for hours on end ostensibly for security reasons. This all despite the austere economic climate following the longest in the world Covid-19 lockdown in Uganda.
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