U.S. Warns Uganda Over Muhoozi Tweets
The United States has signaled it may rethink its long-standing security partnership with Uganda following incendiary social media posts by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country’s Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch said Muhoozi had “crossed a red line” by accusing the U.S. Embassy in Kampala of supporting opposition leader Bobi Wine during a controversial security operation earlier this month.
Risch described Muhoozi’s subsequent apology, in which he deleted the posts and claimed he had been “fed wrong information,” as “hollow” and insufficient.
“Commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba has crossed a red line and now the U.S. must reevaluate its security partnership, which includes sanctions, and military cooperation with Uganda,” Risch wrote.
“The president’s son, and likely successor, cannot just delete tweets and issue hollow apologies. The U.S. will not tolerate this level of instability and recklessness when American personnel, U.S. interests, and innocent lives in the region are at stake.”
Muhoozi’s now-deleted posts alleged that U.S. diplomats had colluded with Wine during or after the January 16 raid on the opposition leader’s home—a claim the U.S. Embassy has not confirmed. He also announced a suspension of cooperation between the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and the U.S. mission, including joint operations in the region.
Hours later, Muhoozi retracted his statements, saying he had been misinformed and had “spoken with the U.S. Ambassador.” He assured that military cooperation would “continue as usual,” framing the reversal as an effort to preserve relations with what he called “great friends.”
Despite the backtrack, Risch’s warning reflects broader concerns in Washington about the political climate in Uganda. The remarks follow scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers over the credibility of Uganda’s January 15 presidential election, which Museveni won by a wide margin. Critics, including some American officials, have denounced the election as illegitimate.
Tensions between Kampala and Washington have been rising amid reports of election-related violence, crackdowns on opposition supporters, and arrests targeting members of Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform. Analysts say the Muhoozi episode highlights persistent instability in Uganda and underscores U.S. sensitivity to actions that may endanger American personnel or interests in the region.