Museveni Shuts Down Anti-Muhoozi Talk in Cabinet and orders Otafiire to Clear the Air Publicly

Things got tense in Cabinet last Monday when President Museveni used the meeting to address something that had been brewing quietly in government corridors. The subject was his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces. And the President was not in a mood for debate.

Sources say Museveni raised the matter himself without anyone prompting him. He went straight to the point, asking who exactly keeps picking fights with Muhoozi. He looked in the direction of Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire, who has reportedly had several exchanges with the army chief in recent times. ICT Minister Chris Baryomunsi was also mentioned as someone who had joined in more recently.

In his defense, Otafiire told the Cabinet he had no personal problem with Muhoozi and was not the one starting any fights. But that was not enough for Museveni. He asked the minister to go further and issue a public statement making his position clear so that the public gossip and speculation would stop.

Museveni also used the moment to remind his Cabinet why Muhoozi matters in the bigger picture. He said the General had actually considered going into business before joining the army, which was an interesting detail he chose to share in that room. He told ministers to work with Muhoozi to move the country forward rather than creating internal noise that weakens the government.

For Ugandans watching from outside those gates, this episode feeds into a much longer conversation about succession, loyalty and how much space senior government officials have to disagree with the President’s son. Otafiire is not a small figure. He has been around since the bush war days. The fact that Museveni had to publicly rein him in over Muhoozi is a story that says a lot without saying it all.

Otafiire is expected to release a statement soon. Watch that space