Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, has introduced that he has stop X, the place he has been posting controversial messages.
The 50-year-old military normal has develop into more and more concerned within the political area, in breach of army protocols, reigniting debates about his ambitions to succeed his father, who has been in energy since 1986.
He lately sparked anger with a tweet during which he threatened to behead the nation’s main opposition determine, Bobi Wine.
In his final submit on Friday, Gen Kainerugaba mentioned “time has now come to go away and focus” on his army duties however promised to “re-converge” together with his a million followers sooner or later.
This isn’t the primary time Gen Kainerugaba has deactivated his X account.
In 2022, he stop the micro-blogging platform solely to return days later.
Critics have taken a swipe on the normal over the statements he has made on social media, which touched on topics thought of taboo for a serving soldier.
In 2022, he made headlines for discussing an invasion of neighbouring Kenya, a remark that compelled his father to step in and apologise.
Gen Kainerugaba’s current submit threatening to “reduce off” the top of Bobi Wine, whose actual title is Robert Kyagulanyi, drew widespread condemnation within the nation.
Though the final apologised in regards to the submit which he described as a joke, Bobi Wine mentioned he couldn’t take such threats flippantly.
The Ugandan authorities downplayed the submit, with a spokesperson describing Gen Kainerugaba’s social media statements as “informal” remarks that shouldn’t be interpreted as reflecting official coverage.
Gen Kainerugaba’s undiplomatic outburst on social media has additionally angered different international locations together with his earlier posts about siding with Russia within the invasion of Ukraine, and saying that Uganda can be on the facet of Tigray within the Ethiopian civil battle.
Museveni has nonetheless defended his son as a “superb normal” and the military mentioned he loved the constitutionally assured particular person proper of expression.
In his farewell message to his X followers, the final mentioned his resolution to go away the platform was guided by his religion and a renewed give attention to his army duties as a normal within the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).
“It’s on the directions and blessings of my Lord Jesus Christ that I go away this social media and dedicate myself to my project to deliver peace and safety to our area,” his assertion said.
“To all my pricey followers, it has been an important whirlwind and rousing journey collectively on these streets for the final 10 years since 2014,” he added.
He urged his followers to proceed supporting his father, whom he known as “the best normal of the resistance”.
Gen Kainerugaba is seen as a doable successor to his long-serving father however Museveni has denied that he’s grooming him for the presidency.
The overall has been holding rallies, mobilising assist across the nation, which has drawn criticism in some quarters.
He joined the military in 1999 and has had a meteoric rise. His ascent to energy has been dubbed the “Muhoozi Venture” by native media.
“I do know you all love me, and that you’ll proceed to comply with me just like the wind lengthy after right here,” he mentioned in his signing off assertion from X.
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