Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni has promoted his son to the rank of general despite his tweets threatening to capture the capital of neighboring Kenya in an unprovoked attack.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 48, a senior military officer, issued a series of tweets, saying his military could capture Nairobi within two weeks and appeared to goad enraged Kenyans as he went on to joke about his previous remarks.
The Ugandan president subsequently sacked him as commander of the army’s land forces and sought “forgiveness” for his son’s remarks.
But any thoughts that Mr Kainerugaba’s career was about to end in disgrace were scotched when he was then promptly promoted by his father.
The move is seen by some as confirmation that Mr Museveni is grooming his son to take over when he steps down. The 78-year-old has ruled Uganda since 1986.
“I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us for tweets sent by General Muhoozi, former commander of land forces here, regarding the election matters in that great country,” Mr Museveni said in a statement.
“It is not correct for public officers, be they civilian or military, to comment or interfere in any way, in the internal affairs of brother countries.”
Mr Kainerugaba, who has been called “the tweeting general” by critics, is an outspoken military official who has a history of trading barbs with opposition figures and weighing into politics.
“It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, two weeks to capture Nairobi,” he tweeted on Monday.
Source: The independent
The Ethiopian Herald 15 October 2022
