Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said his time leading the country’s military is coming to an end and that he intends to hand over command to another qualified officer.
In messages posted on X on Friday, November 6, Kainerugaba said he believed he had completed the tasks God had given him and was preparing to hand over the position.
“In a few months I will hand over this office to a qualified officer. I shall dedicate my life to Christ after that,” he wrote.
In another message, Kainerugaba described the military’s top position as requiring courage and a willingness to make difficult decisions.
He said the role needed a brave lion rather than a lamb or a diplomat, adding that this was the approach he had sought to take during his tenure.
He also wrote: “Don’t worry, I’m still around. At least for another year.”
Kainerugaba also addressed the welfare of lower-ranking soldiers, describing UPDF personnel as his heroes and calling for improvements to their accommodation and earnings.
He said every soldier at the rank of private should receive a basic monthly salary of two million Ugandan shillings, starting in the next financial year. He linked the demand to his preparations to leave the military.
His remarks called for a pay increase; they did not confirm that the proposed salary had been approved.
Kainerugaba, President Yoweri Museveni’s eldest son, assumed office as Chief of Defence Forces on March 28, 2024, succeeding Gen. Wilson Mbadi, who had been appointed Minister of State for Trade.
The handover took place at the UPDF’s 4th Division headquarters in Gulu, during a ceremony presided over by Gen. Salim Saleh. Kainerugaba became the 13th officer to hold the position.
Before taking command of the military, he had led the Special Forces Command and the UPDF Land Forces, and served as senior presidential adviser for special operations.
Beyond his military career, Kainerugaba chairs the Patriotic League of Uganda, an organisation through which he has built a political following.
Museveni had recently told senior National Resistance Movement leaders that his son was his preferred successor.
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