The UPDF Land Forces Commander and First Son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has annouced that he is retiring from the army.
“After 28 years of service in my glorious military, the greatest military in the world, I am happy to announce my retirement,” Muhoozi annouced on Twitter.
“Me and my soldiers have achieved so much! I have only love and respect for all those great men and women that achieve greatness for Uganda every day,” he added.
The surprise announcement comes amid rumours of his presidential ambitions that he is being prepared to succeed his father Yoweri Museveni as the President of Uganda.
Kainerugaba was born on 24th April 1974 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He attended schools in Tanzania, Mount Kenya Academy in Nyeri Kenya and Sweden. After Museveni became President of Uganda, he attended Kampala Parents School, King’s College Budo and St. Mary’s College Kisubi. He graduated in 1994.
In 1999, Muhoozi joined the UPDF at the rank of officer cadet and graduated in 2000 from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the British Army’s officer training school. He quickly made promotion within UPDF.
In September 2011 Muhoozi was promoted to Colonel. In early 2012 he enrolled at the South African National Defence College for the Executive National Security Program. In August 2012 he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed Commander Special Forces Command.
In 2013 and 2014 Muhoozi was one of the senior UPDF commanders who were deployed to South Sudan to support the Government of South Sudan after fighting broke out in Juba between rival factions of the SPLA.
In 2017 Muhoozi was appointed Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Duties, a position he held until December 2020. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in May 2016. In 2019, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.
