Commander of the Army, the only son of the Head of State, in power since 1986, appreciates little dissenting voices but swears do not have the ambition to succeed his father.
Le Monde with AFP
Behind the arrest and imprisonment for insults of the writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija hovers the shadow of the son of the Ugandan President, General Muhoozi Kaineerugaba, commander-in-chief of the Army. It is for qualifying in a series of “obese” tweets and “grumbler” the heir potential of Yoweri Museveni that the 33-year writer was detained at the end of December 2021 and prosecuted for “offensive communication” . Taking advantage of a bail liberation pending his trial, Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled Uganda to win Germany, where he arrived Wednesday 23 February.
His arrest had been the last episode of a long series of intimidation for the dissenting voices in Uganda, in particular those referring to the succession of Yoweri Museveni, 77 years, in power since 1986. In 2013, the police had already done Close two newspapers and two radio stations for ten days on the pretext that they had published a confidential memo on the existence of a “Muhoozi project” preparing after-museveni. Its author, former intelligence director David Sejja, fled to the United Kingdom, from which he said that anyone opposed this project risked death.
Political Dynasty
The Ugandan president has long swept the idea that his only son takes his suite. The person also advocates, even arguing that “Uganda is not a monarchy where the power is transmitted from father to son”. But, for many Ugandans, the ascent of Muhoozi Kaineerugaba, today 47 years old, within the army testifies to its influence at the heart of power and makes it the designated successor of his father.
Muhoozi Kaineerugaba appeared in the eyes of the general public in 1998. So young graduate, he recruits students to expand the presidential guard, raising the first questions about the emergence of a political dynasty, before being sent to the kingdom -UNI, in Egypt, the United States and South Africa to study the military strategy.
He then goes to South Sudan and Somalia with the Ugandan quotas supporting local governments, participates in the campaigns against the rebel groups of the Resistance Army of the Lord (LRA) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and directs Powerful special forces. Now commander of the Ugandan Army, he is also “high presidential advisor in charge of special operations”, whose field extends beyond the military domain.
“With the accumulation of high command (military) courses, one after the other, promotion promotion, it became clear that Muhoozi was prepared at high positions in the army” Note Lauben Oketch, specialist in security issues based in Kampala. Many former Museveni allies, including his personal doctor, Kizza Besigye became a figure of the opposition, scrambled with the president about the ascent of his son.
“Irresponsible comments”
In the opposite of his father who loves public appearances, Muhoozi Kaineerugaba, married to a businesswoman and father of three children, is discreet. On the other hand, he does not hesitate to share his opinions on Twitter, as well on the coup d’etat in Guinea in 2021 and on the war in the north of Ethiopia, renting the tygy rebels for their “indomitable character”.
His tweets sometimes cause the discomfort in Kampala. According to an Ugandan diplomat speaking under anonymity, “Muhoozi should know that it is not an ordinary Ugandan (…), its comments can be interpreted as a position of Uganda”. The member for opposition Muwanga Kivumbi believes that he “puts the land uncomfortable, he can plunge into the war with his irresponsible comments.”.
The interventions of Muhoozi Kaineerugaba in foreign policy are not limited to social networks. It is a key role in the recent rapprochement between Uganda and neighboring Rwanda, where he went to meet President Paul Kagame at the end of January. He continues to deny any presidential ambition.
In his country, this clevy figure, fear by many, is also rented for his philanthropic actions. In particular, we have been given the student’s medical expenses or, at the 2021 African Basketball Championship, the National Team Hotel Invoice.