President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has promoted his first son, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to full General which is the highest rank in the hierarchy of Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
The promotion of Muhoozi, which was announced by the country’s Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs in a statement on Tuesday, also said he has been dropped from his role as Commander of Land Forces, will continue serving as senior presidential advisor for special operations.
General Muhoozi had on Monday, sparked a storm on social media when he tweeted about capturing the Kenyan capital Nairobi, a statement the Ugandan government has since distanced itself from.
In a series of tweets which went viral before he deleted them, Gen Muhoozi who is seen as the heir apparent to the East African country’s Presidency, said he blamed former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta for not contesting for a third term in the August 2022 polls, adding that the retired President could have easily won the election.
“My only problem with my beloved big brother is that he didn’t stand for a third term. We would have won easily!” Muhoozi wrote on his Twitter account, (@mkainerugaba.
He then went on to tweet about leading the Ugandan military to capture Kenya and going on a tour of the conquered territory with his wife.
“It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, two weeks to capture Nairobi,” he tweeted.
“After capturing Nairobi, I shall take my wife on a tour of our district,” he wrote.
“I’m happy that members of our district in Kenya, have responded enthusiastically to my tweet. It’s still 2 weeks to Nairobi! After our army captures Nairobi, where should I live? Westlands? Riverside?” He wrote in another tweet.
However, following the backlash he received following the tweets, the 48-year-old Muhoozi took down the tweets and went to write that he was only joking with the earlier tweets.
“I’m glad that I have scared you Kenyans a bit! Two weeks is long. Nairobi in one week for sure! Aided by my brothers from Carnival!”
He then went on to assure Kenyans that he would never wedge a war on the Kenyan army.