Ugandan president's son stirs controversy with tweets of ambitions

On Twitter, Ugandan president’s son has mused about inving neighboring Kenya, praised Russian President Vlimir Putin and offered cattle for Italian prime minister's hand in marriage.

While many of his tweets are dismissed as laughable, ones about succeeding his far in this East African nation are a source of concern for some.

Many Ugandans want decisive political change after nearly four deces of same government, but son of President Yoweri Museveni is alrey claiming victory. “I will be President of Uganda after my far,” Muhoozi Kainerugaba tweeted earlier this month. “Those fighting truth will be very disappointed!!!”

Museveni, 78 and in power for 37 years, hasn't said when he will leave office. Kainerugaba is at peak of his military career as a four-star general who is a linchpin of security apparatus supporting Museveni.

But at 48, Kainerugaba is now six years older than his far was when he became president, underscoring what some see as root of his increasingly impatient claim to presidency. With his tweets — which Ugandans try to decode for signs of what's coming — he has injected a measure of intrigue in politics midway through Museveni’s sixth elected term.

Does Kainerugaba, described by some Ugandans as "standby generator," have a legitimate path to presidency? Or will he take matters into his own hands?

"If even son could no longer bear his far’s endless rule, why should ors tolerate it?" asked columnist Alan Tacca, writing in Daily Monitor newspaper. “Right now, many of his supporters and professional opportunists seem unsure which way to jump."

Kainerugaba has staged rallies in past year that he says are to introduce him to youth across country, even though serving army officers are legally barred from engaging in partisan affairs. He also has attacked ruling party, led by his far, as a “reactionary” group full of corrupt criminals.

son's verbal attacks have sparked a backlash, with vice president saying Museveni will run again in 2026 and or officials asserting ir faith in president.

But tensions between Kainerugaba and some in ruling party have promoted him as his own man, said Frank Gashumba, an entrepreneur and political analyst who is one of Kainerugaba’s most prominent supporters.

Gashumba spoke of Kainerugaba as an honest leer who would be intolerant of official corruption in authoritarian style of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who is often praised by Kainerugaba. “I see anor Kagame,” he said, explaining why he believes some in ruling party are unnerved. “I see he wants to bring in iron hand.”

president's son could not be reached for an interview.

Kainerugaba, who is currently serving as a military viser to his far, was born in neighboring Tanzania when Museveni was active in clandestine struggle against Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. He attended boarding school in Uganda before receiving his military education in Britain and U.S. He has never served in a civilian capacity.

His quick rise through army ranks proved controversial over years amid allegations of a secret project to groom him for presidency. A purge in recent years of Museveni’s contemporaries in military is widely seen as paving path for Kainerugaba, whose perceived allies now control a wide range of military assets.

Museveni has said nothing publicly to disavow or encourage Kainerugaba’s political ambitions. But while celebrating son’s birthday last year, he warned that while he was patient with corrupt officials, this was not case with Kainerugaba. “He will fight corruption," said Museveni. comment was seen as a sign that Museveni sees Kainerugaba as Uganda’s future leer.

But many have doubts about president’s son.

Those who know him say he is impulsive, citing his comments on Twitter. Museveni once h to apologize to Kenya for a tweet that said Uganda’s forces could take its capital, Nairobi, in two weeks. Museveni n removed Kainerugaba as infantry commander even as he promoted him to highest military rank. Despite rare public rebuke of his son, Museveni cited “many or positive contributions general has me and can still make.”

Yet Kainerugaba continues to tweet provocatively. “In cannibalistic politics of NRM, let me say this, those who fight my far, fight me and those who fight me, fight my far,” he tweeted in January, speaking of ruling party.

Kainerugaba also has faced charges of rights abuses in relation to his previous role as commander of Uganda’s special forces. Opposition figure Bobi Wine has said he and some supporters have been victimized by special forces, and a satirical writer now exiled in Europe accused Kainerugaba of ordering his torture while in detention. special forces deny se allegations.

Ors criticize Kainerugaba for his lack of political charm, saying he is a pure soldier while his far has a folksy style.

And while Museveni imbibed Marxism and as a college student sought to verify Frantz Fanon’s ory of violence, Kainerugaba has not outlined his political vision. He sometimes makes a spiritual claim to leership as a presumed heir to line of an ancient dynasty of cattle keepers known as Bacwezi.

He is yet to craft a compelling argument for why he should be supported, said Yusuf Serunkuma, a political orist. And yet Serunkuma has argued that a coup by Kainerugaba would be celebrated by many Ugandans.

“Coups are back on African continent, and y are popular,” he said. “ best chance by far for him is to take power when his d is still alive.”