14th March, 2022
Uganda’s military denied on Monday that President Yoweri Museveni’s son, Lt. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has retired.
Kainerugaba announced on Twitter on March 8 that he had retired from the military after more than 20 years’ service.
Many believe he was preparing to succeed his long-ruling father, who gunned his way to office in 1986.
Uganda will have its next presidential election in 2026.
“The general has not retired from the army, he is still in active service,” Chris Magezi, spokesman for the land forces, said.
“The army promotions and the commissions board which is the military body mandated with handling retirement requests has not received his application.”
Ugandan law bars serving soldiers from participating in politics.
Kainerugaba, 47, has himself not said whether he wants to run for president but his supporters have been conducting online and street campaigns promoting his candidature.
Museveni, 77, Africa’s fourth longest-ruling president, has long been pilloried by the opposition and rights groups for using the military to subdue his opponents through intimidation, beatings or jail terms.
Officials deny the accusations.
He was declared winner against his main opponent, pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, after an election in January last year that was marked by violence.
Wine rejected the results as fraudulent and the United States and European Union said the polls were not free and fair.