Uganda’s military has revealed that President Yoweri Museveni’s son; a lieutenant general, who is widely believed to be trying to succeed his long-ruling father, had not resigned.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced on Twitter on March 8; that he had retired from the military after almost three decades in service. The current president has been in power since 1986.
The tweet was widely interpreted as a sign that Kainerugaba; commander of the military’s land forces; was preparing to enter politics on a possible path to contest the presidency in the next election in 2026.
A spokesman for the land forces, Chris Magezi told Reuters that; ” The general has not retired from the army, he is still in active service; The army promotions and the commission’s board; which is the military body mandated with handling retirement requests, has not received his application.”
According to the law of the country; serving soldiers cannot participate in politics.
Kainerugaba has not admitted to himself that he wants to run for president, but his supporters have been administering online and street campaigns for his candidature.
President Museveni Last Election
Museveni who is Africa’s fourth-longest serving president has long been criticized by the opposition; and rights groups for using the army to restrain his opponents through intimidation, beatings, or jail terms. His officials have denied the accusations.
He was announced the winner, against his main opponent; after an election in January last year that was marked by violence.
The United States and European Union said the polls were not free and fair; His opponent Bobi Wine rejected the results as fraudulent and
Last December, a prominent Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was detained in December last year and subsequently charged with communications offenses related to his tweets that criticized Kainerugaba and his father.
The author has since fled to exile in Germany
