Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, appointed his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba as the chief of the defense forces.
Kainerugaba confirmed it by changing his status on X.
Kainerugaba has taken over from Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, who was reportedly appointed minister of state for trade.
In October 2022, the local media reported that Museveni dismissed Kainerugaba from his position as commander of the national ground forces following his statement regarding the potential capture of Kenya's capital. However, later, he was promoted to the rank of general — the highest in the military hierarchy of Uganda’s defense forces.
Kainerugaba began his military career in 1999 when he joined the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) as an officer cadet. In 2013 and 2014, he was among high-ranking commanders in the UPDF who were sent to South Sudan. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in February 2019, which is the second-highest rank in the Ugandan army, following the general. Kainerugaba assumed the rank of Commander of the UPDF Land Forces in June 2021.
In September 2022, Museveni's son said that the military of Uganda would consider any act of hostility towards Russia as an act of aggression towards the entire African continent.