KAMPALA, Uganda — For decades, Uganda has occupied a privileged place in American security strategy in East Africa, earning a reputation in Washington as one of the region’s most dependable military partners. Ugandan troops have served in some of Africa’s most dangerous peacekeeping and counterterrorism missions, while successive U.S. administrations have invested heavily in military training, intelligence cooperation and security assistance, viewing Kampala as an indispensable ally in efforts to combat extremist groups and promote regional stability.
Yet the partnership has never been without tension.
American officials have repeatedly voiced concern over Uganda’s human rights record, democratic backsliding and restrictions on political freedoms, often finding themselves balancing those concerns against the country’s strategic importance.
In recent years, those concerns have become increasingly intertwined with the growing political prominence of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, whose outspoken social media presence has repeatedly drawn international attention.
That uneasy balance appeared to tilt further over the weekend after Ugandan regulators ordered broadcasters carrying Nation Media Group outlets, including NTV Uganda, off the air following a dispute linked to coverage involving opposition politician Erias Lukwago.
The switchoff followed Muhoozi’s orders and he even bragged about his unbelief in a free press!
The decision immediately ignited a fresh debate about press freedom in Uganda and prompted criticism from journalists, civil society organisations and democracy advocates, who argued that the move represented another contraction of the country’s civic space.
The shutdown added to a growing list of controversies surrounding Gen. Muhoozi, whose increasingly political commentary has often blurred the traditional boundaries between military leadership and partisan politics.
His online posts have touched on domestic political rivals, neighbouring countries, diplomatic relations and issues traditionally handled by civilian government institutions, attracting both loyal supporters and sharp criticism at home and abroad.
Media rights organisations warned that the latest developments could have a chilling effect on independent journalism.
Critics argued that actions against major independent broadcasters reinforce fears that the operating environment for journalists continues to narrow whenever reporting touches politically sensitive subjects.
The controversy nevertheless reverberated well beyond Uganda’s borders.
Washington has long regarded freedom of expression and an independent press as central components of democratic governance, even while maintaining close military cooperation with governments whose strategic importance advances broader American security interests.
Uganda’s role in regional peacekeeping, particularly in Somalia under successive African Union missions, has often made Kampala a key security partner despite periodic disagreements over governance.
Against that backdrop, one of the United States’ most influential foreign policy lawmakers publicly questioned whether the longstanding military partnership should continue in its current form.
Senator Jim Risch, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued an unusually blunt statement on X calling for Washington to reassess its security ties with Uganda.
“The U.S. needs to review its security relationship with Uganda. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s attacks on free speech, including shuttering major media houses this weekend, make him and the UPDF unfit partners,” he wrote.
“We should only work with those who advance regional security, not diminish it.”
The remarks marked one of the strongest public rebukes by a senior American lawmaker since the controversy surrounding the suspension of Nation Media Group broadcasts erupted.
Coming from the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—a body that plays a central role in overseeing American foreign policy, international security cooperation and foreign assistance—the statement immediately elevated what had begun as a domestic media dispute into an issue with potentially significant diplomatic implications.
Although the committee chairman cannot unilaterally alter U.S. foreign policy, congressional leaders wield considerable influence over foreign military assistance, oversight hearings and broader debates about America’s security partnerships.
Risch’s intervention is therefore likely to increase scrutiny in Washington over future military cooperation with Uganda if concerns over democratic freedoms continue to mount.
The comments also underscore the increasingly international consequences of Gen. Muhoozi’s political profile.
Over the past several years, the UPDF commander has repeatedly made headlines for controversial social media posts touching on Uganda’s domestic politics and regional affairs. S
Yet he has had some defenders, including now local government minister Balaam Barugahara, who responded to Risch.
“With utmost respect, Sir, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Uganda is a democratic state and a nation that upholds freedom of speech. However, that freedom should never be used to undermine our national security, violate our laws, or threaten public order,” wrote Barugahara.
“It is therefore misleading to make sweeping assumptions about Uganda’s institutions or security partnerships without appreciating the responsibility every sovereign nation has to safeguard its peace, stability, and constitutional order. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, continues to serve Uganda in advancing national and regional security.”
Barugahara added: “Uganda remains a reliable strategic partner and has consistently contributed to peacekeeping, counterterrorism, and regional stability across Africa. Constructive engagement should be guided by mutual respect for sovereignty, facts, and our shared security interests not by assumptions or politically motivated narratives.”
Uganda’s relationship with the United States has weathered similar moments of strain before. Washington has, at different times, imposed sanctions on Ugandan officials over human rights concerns, criticised restrictions on political opposition and raised questions about democratic governance while continuing security cooperation because of Uganda’s strategic importance in East and Central Africa.
For successive American administrations, Uganda has represented both an indispensable security ally and a recurring source of concern over civil liberties—a duality that has often complicated bilateral relations.
The latest dispute now threatens to reopen that debate at one of the highest levels of American policymaking.
Analysts say any formal review of U.S.-Uganda security cooperation would involve the executive branch, including the Departments of State and Defense, working alongside Congress. No such review has been announced, and neither government has indicated that existing military cooperation has changed.
Nevertheless, Risch’s statement signals that Uganda’s handling of press freedom is attracting renewed attention in Washington at a time when democratic governance is increasingly factoring into congressional oversight of U.S. security partnerships abroad.
Whether the senator’s call results in tangible policy changes remains uncertain. Uganda continues to occupy a strategically important position in a volatile region, and the United States has long viewed the UPDF as an essential partner in efforts to combat terrorism and support regional stability.
Even so, the intervention by one of America’s most senior foreign policy lawmakers sends a powerful message that Uganda’s domestic political developments are no longer being viewed solely as internal affairs but as factors that could shape the future of one of Kampala’s most consequential international relationships.
For now, no formal policy shift has been announced. But Senator Risch’s call for a review has ensured that the debate over Uganda’s security partnership with the United States has entered a new and far more consequential phase, with the actions of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba now at the centre of an increasingly international conversation about democracy, press freedom and the responsibilities of strategic allies.
Meanwhile, Muhoozi says Uganda is consulting the UK and EU on reopening NTV Uganda and other NMG outlets, as reported Here.
