Ugandan president says outspoken son will 'leave Twitter' following threat to invade Kenya

Major General Muhoozi Kainerugaba's Twitter outbursts have caused his father, Uganda's president, to step in.

Major General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Uganda's president, has been scolded over his social media outbursts. Source: Getty / PETER BUSOMOKE/AFP via Getty Images

Key Points

• Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni says his outspoken son will stay off Twitter when it comes to affairs of state.
• Powerful general Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 48, has often caused controversy with his comments on Twitter.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Monday that his outspoken son would stay off Twitter when it comes to affairs of state, after a social media tirade that included a threat to invade neighbouring Kenya.

Powerful general Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 48, has often caused controversy with his comments on Twitter but his particularly undiplomatic outburst earlier this month caused Mr Museveni to step in.

“It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, two weeks to capture Nairobi,” Major General Kainerugaba tweeted earlier this month.

Mr Museveni told a local Ugandan television station this week that his son would "leave Twitter".

"He will leave Twitter. We have this discussion. Twitter is not a problem. The problem is what you are tweeting about," he said.

But Major General Kainerugaba, he said, would still be able to take to social media as long as he restricts himself to comments about sport, for example.

"Talking about other countries and partisan politics of Uganda is something he should not do and he will not do it," Mr Museveni added.

The president had apologised to Kenya in early October after Major General Kainerugaba, among other remarks, suggested taking his troops to capture Nairobi.

He also chided Kenya's former leader Uhuru Kenyatta for not attempting an unconstitutional third bid at the presidency in the August poll, in what was seen as a slight against the newly elected President William Ruto.

President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni attends Kenya's fifth president William Ruto's inauguration ceremony at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya on 13 September, 2022. Source: Getty / Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The first son also last week sought forgiveness for his remarks from Mr Ruto, whose swearing-in ceremony was attended by Mr Museveni.

In Monday's interview, Mr Museveni nevertheless defended his son as a "very good general", after promoting him to the rank despite stripping him of his role as leader of Uganda's land forces.

Although Major General Kainerugaba has repeatedly denied claims he intends to succeed his 78-year-old father - one of Africa's longest-serving leaders - he has enjoyed a rapid rise through Uganda's army ranks.