Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday sent his son as commander of the country’s infantry forces after he tweeted unprovoked threats to seize the neighboring Kenyan capital, causing widespread concern in East Africa. was dismissed.
Dubbed Uganda’s “mumbling general,” Lieutenant General Muhuji Kainergaba has sparked outrage in recent months among some Ugandans who see his frequent Twitter posts as provocative and sometimes even dangerous. .
He tweeted in support of the Tigray rebels fighting Ethiopian federal forces. He has expressed his support for the violent rebels fighting in eastern Congo. He said all Africans support Russia in the war in Ukraine. Curiously, he recently said he would offer the next female prime minister of Italy her 100 horned cows (apparently in exchange for a bride).
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Some of Keinergaba’s supporters say his tweets are attempts at humor and should not be taken seriously. As an army officer, he is constitutionally barred from engaging in partisan politics, and some Ugandans have pointed out that other soldiers who tweet like Kainergaba would be court-martialed.
“It will take less than two weeks to occupy Nairobi,” he tweeted on Monday.
The threat of seizing Kenya’s capital was too much for his father, an authoritarian leader who has been in power since 1986.
Kenyan President William Ruto, who came to power last month, has been friendly with Museveni, who called him the region’s “father” when he took office.
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Kainergaba’s tweet outraged many Kenyans, with the foreign minister tweeting that he met with the Ugandan ambassador on Tuesday. Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed Kynergaba’s tweet in a statement that spoke of “a harmonious relationship that we cherish.”
According to observers, Kainergaba is a pillar of his father’s personal security service and the de facto head of the Ugandan military, with his allies strategically deployed in command of the entire security force. Although he has been dismissed from his position as head of the Ugandan infantry unit, Kanergaba has still been promoted to four-star general and will continue to serve as his father’s military adviser, according to a statement released by the military on Tuesday. was replaced as infantry commander by Lieutenant General Kayanja Muhanga.
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Many Ugandans believe Kinergaba is being groomed to replace Museveni as president, something the president has long denied.
Keinergaba’s associates describe him as a devoted military officer who often eschews displays of power and wealth. I was in charge.