President Yoweri Museveni was forced to drop his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as Commander Land Forces following his controversial tweets on Kenya, the neighbouring country that serves as Uganda’s main supply route from the East African coast.
However, Lt Gen Muhoozi has been promoted to full general and will be replaced by the Commander of Mountain Division Maj Gen Kayanja who has also been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant general.
Maj Gen Kayanja, who is currently commanding military operations against the Allied Democratic Forces in DR Congo assumes the office of Command Land Forces which is the third biggest office in the UPDF command hierarchy.
According to the UPDF statement, Gen Muhoozi will retain his position of the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, which he has been holding since 2017.
Gen Muhoozi’s controversial tweets on Monday evening, saying that the Ugandan army would advance and capture Kenya’s capital Nairobi within two weeks if the two countries went war, caused a diplomatic spat.
“It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi,” he tweeted.
The furious Kenyans using both social media and diplomatic means mounted pressure on president Yoweri Mueveni to make a decision that has cost Gen Muhoozi his military badge.
Earlier on Tuesday, Uganda’s foreign Affairs Ministry had issued a statement denying that Gen Muhoozi’s tweets were not representing the position of the government of Uganda.
The issuance of the statement came after Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Vicente Bagiire held a meeting with Kenya’s Military Attache at the Kenyan embassy in Kampala.
Another meeting was held at Uganda’s embassy in Nairobi between Uganda’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Dr Hassan Galiwango and Dr Alfred Mutua, Kenya’s designate Foreign Affairs Secretary over Gen Muhoozi’s tweets.
“This morning I shared a social cup of tea with Amb. Dr Hassan Galiwango – Uganda High Commissioner to Kenya. We discussed interesting matters. Mambo iko Sawa [everything is fine],” Dr Mutua tweeted.
Gen Muhoozi has also previously used twitter to express his controversial views like in March this year when he said expressed for the support the Ethiopian secessionists in Tigray region.
In another tweet yesterday, Gen Muhoozi said he had met president Museveni and expected changes.
“I had a good discussion with my great father this morning. Apparently, my twets scared Kenyans too much. He will announce the changes. There is a special prayer I shall make for our army” he said.
He has also expressed support for Russian in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. Lt Gen Kayanja whose 37 years of military career has been spent on the battle field.
Who is Lt. Gen. Kayanja Muhanga?
He was born in Kabarole district in western Uganda and a Mutooro by tribe. He was born in 1965 and no more much specific date and month are provided.
He is the commander of operation Shujja under the UPDF contingent in Democratic Republic of Congo. Previously Gen. Kayanja served as the 4th division commander in Gulu from where he was posted to Mountain division as the commandant.
He has also served as commandant military police, commander Uganda’s contingent in Somalia
He joined the National Resistance Army at the rank of private until 1986 when the rebels captured power.
He served in the Presidential Protection Unit at the rank of private from 1986 until 1988. Following the Junior Cadet Officer Course, he served in the office of the Chief of Combat Operations, at the rank of second Lieutenant.
In 1990, he was transferred to the Directorate of Military Intelligence serving there until 1993. From 1993 until 1997, he served as the Intelligence Officer, attached to the UPDF barracks in Mubende.
He was assigned to the Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce, at the rank of Captain He was promoted through Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel and was posted to Somalia as part of the UPDF contingent to Amisom. While there, he commanded Uganda’s “Battle Group Eight”. He attended the Cadet Officers Course at the Uganda Military Academy in 1988.
He is the outgoing commander of land forces of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces and who was previously the commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC).
In October 2022, Muhoozi who is also the son of President Museveni’s son was promoted to a full general, the highest rank in the UPDF and dropped as commander land forces of the UPDF.
In 2017 Muhoozi was appointed Senior Presidential Adviser on Special Operations. He was reappointed as the Commander of the elite Special Forces Command (SFC) in December 2020. Muhoozi had served in the same position from 2008 to 2017.
The Times and Command of Gen Muhoozi
Gen. Muhoozi was born on April 24, 1974 in Tanzania
1999, Muhoozi joined the army
2000 graduated from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
September 2011 promoted to Colonel.
2012, enrolled at the South African National Defence College for the Executive National Security Program.
In August 2012 promoted to Brigadier Generaland appointed Commander Special Forces Command.
In 2013 and 2014 Muhoozi was one of the senior UPDF commanders who 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 appointed Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Duties, a position he held until December 2020.
February 2019, promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General.
In June 2021, appointed Commander of UPDF Land Forces.
