Gen Muhoozi clashes with Gen Muhoozi!

In the last 40 years, the public has seldom been treated to a public disagreement between the military and the civilian leadership at Ministry of Defence Headquarters. But in the past few days, Ugandans heard the Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs express ignorance of a matter the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) had made public. Even as some Ugandans may want to laugh it off, there are others who think it may be the new normal.

Why? Because Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the CDF also had issues with Gen David Muhoozi (no relation please), the State minister for Internal Affairs. Gen David Muhoozi had expressed disapproval and said it was unacceptable for security personnel not to display their name tags when on deployment. Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba took to X and made his disagreement with Gen David Muhoozi public. CDF Muhoozi argued that world over, Special Forces don’t display their identities. He even published photos of Special Forces from other countries.In our WhatsApp group of lugezigezi people, CDF Muhoozi’s argument seems to have taken the day. Until a certain Mukonzo tribesman called Asuman (son of Hadijah) asked: “Does an operation in Kawempe North (whether by Special Forces or JATT) characterised by beating, maiming unarmed citizens really qualify for the kind of special operation Gen Kainerugaba was referring to? Banange…, you also count in us some clevers [wisdom].” If I were still an editor, I would have run a headline going like: “Muhoozi clashes with Muhoozi” Mr Jacob Oboth Oboth is the substantive and bona fide minister for Defence and Veterans Affairs. This is the government department that supervises the military and veterans. Anybody with a cursory interests in public affairs would know the structural hierarchy in every ministry: the minister takes precedence. The Ministry of Defence is not different. Dear reader, I picked this from Chimp Reports. Read for yourself: “The Minister of Defence, Jacob Oboth Oboth, has contradicted the statements made by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson, Felix Kulayigye, over UPDF deployment in South Sudan. Muhoozi and Kulayigye confirmed the deployment of the Ugandan military to the war-torn South Sudan as tensions escalate between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar, raising fears that their fragile peace deal could collapse, and a conflict could resume. In a social media post on Tuesday, Muhoozi posted a video of heavily armed UPDF soldiers in Juba with the caption, “UPDF Commandos arriving in Juba to support South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in the current crisis. Operation ‘Mlinzi wa Kimya’ has begun.” However, Mr Oboth Oboth denied knowledge of UPDF deployment in South Sudan, saying he hasn’t participated in any meeting authorising such deployment and asked Parliament for more time to verify the reports. Someone has just reminded me that even the Government of South Sudan expressed disquiet over the public revelation that the UPDF had sent commandos to Juba. In 2013, the UPDF deployed in South Sudan for what Lt Col Paddy Ankunda (then UPDF spokesperson) said was the evacuation of Ugandan nationals caught up in factional fighting in Juba. Uganda did not only provide forces but it also gave diplomatic cover to the fledgling Juba regime. But there was no wahala. On South Sudan, I have views. I think Mr Museveni is backing the wrong guy. We should just support Mr Riek Machar. Supporting President Kiir is draining both South Sudan and Uganda (worst of all Mr Oboth Oboth).