Following Uganda’s first son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has admitted that change-seeking forces have failed to clear the mess that the country has been in since independence, with a little over a half of the 60-year journey under one president: Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni.
This week, Museveni’s son Gen Kainerugaba whipped up a Twitter storm when he ‘joked’ about capturing the Kenyan capital Nairobi within just two weeks. The tweet generated a ‘diplomatic row’ between Nairobi and Kampala, prompting a meeting between Ugandan ambassador to Kenya and the country’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary designate Alfred Mutua; a statement from the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign affairs re-affirming the cordial relations between Kampala and Nairobi; and an apology from Gen Museveni to Kenyans and Ugandans.
The Twitter meltdown was followed by the ‘firing’ of the first son from the position of the Commander of Land Forces in the Ugandan army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). But in a shocking move, Gen Museveni promoted his son from the rank of lieutenant general to that of a full general, the highest rank in the UPDF.
Dr Besigye, a man who was part of Gen Museveni’s five-year bush war struggle that catapulted the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) into power in 1986, has been the regime’s fiercest critic for the past two decades following his fallout with his former boss Museveni at the turn of the millennium.
He contested for presidency four times, flunking in all contests, according to official resulted by the country’s Electoral Commission (EC) whose bosses are appointed by his rival Gen Museveni.
Now, with Muhoozi’s Twitter storm nearly escalating into a diplomatic crisis between Kampala and Nairobi, Besigye has taken responsibility for failing to clear the mess that the country is in whereby a top ranking army official and commander can tweet carelessly and be rewarded with a promotion in rank.
It should be remembered that Besigye has previously exposed how Gen Muhoozi was ‘illegally recruited’ into the UPDF and promoted. Besigye even vowed never to salute Muhoozi even if he ever becomes Uganda’s President. (Read Stories Here and There).
Besigye pleaded with people in the region to understand that the country is struggling to have its first peaceful handover of power in its post-independence era.
“Dear Kenyans and all East Africans, May I add that we take responsibility for failing, up to now, to end the mess that our leadership in Uganda is,” wrote Besigye.
“It’ll be 60 years of Uganda’s ‘Independence’ on 9th Oct, without ever changing leaders peacefully! We’re working overtime to end misrule.”
But former opposition politician and new Museveni Minister Norbert Mao has revealed the year that Gen Museveni will peacefully hand over power, raising hopes for ‘a new Uganda.’ (Read Story Here).
Meanwhile, Gen Museveni has apologized on behalf on his ‘careless’ son Muhoozi and explained why he promoted him to the rank of general at the age of 48 even when he has made ‘silly’ mistakes. (Read Stories Here and There).
As the confusion over Museveni’s succession continues, a popular prophet who predicted Kenyan William Ruto’s presidential election victory has revealed the man God has chosen to take over from Museveni in a few years. (Read Story Here).
