Muhoozi Kainerugaba

Muhoozi Kainerugaba (born 24 April 1974) is a Ugandan general, Son of President Yoweri Museveni and the Leader of the MK Movement, a political Pressure group that aims to foresee the political journey of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to becoming the next President of Uganda.

He has been commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC) from 2008 to 2017, and again from December 2020 to 2021, then commander of the land forces of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) from 24 June 2021 to 4 October 2022, when he was removed following tweets claiming to be able to capture Nairobi in less than a week.

Both the UPDF and the SFC are accused of using excessive force, as well as abductions; Muhoozi and other senior officials are mentioned in an International Criminal Court complaint.

Muhoozi Kainerugaba was born on 24 April 1974 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Yoweri Museveni and Janet Museveni.

His father has been President of Uganda since 1986 during his time with FRONASA, a guerrilla outfit he led during the fight against Idi Amin's dictatorial government by exiles based in Tanzania.

Raised in a Christian family, Muhoozi became born-again in his early years (secondary school).

After his father became President of Uganda in 1986, he attended Kampala Parents School, King's College Budo, and St. Mary's College Kisubi.

He graduated in 1994.

Muhoozi was admitted to the Egyptian Military Academy where he took both the company and battalion commanders courses.

He also has attended the Kalama Armoured Warfare Training School.

Muhoozi joined Nottingham University where he obtained a Political Science degree in 1997

In 1999, Muhoozi married Charlotte Nankunda Kutesa.

As a child, Muhoozi attended schools in Tanzania, Mount Kenya Academy in Nyeri Kenya, and Sweden.

In 1999, Muhoozi joined the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) at the rank of officer cadet and graduated in 2000 from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the British Army's officer training school.

He quickly made promotion within UPDF although many of Museveni's former NRA comrades such as David Sejusa and Kizza Besigye opposed this.

In 2007 he was admitted to a one-year course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, graduating in June 2008.

Following that, he successfully completed the Executive National Security Programme at the South African National Defence College.

He has been commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC) from 2008 to 2017, and again from December 2020 to 2021,

In September 2011 Muhoozi was promoted to Colonel.

In early 2012 Muhoozi enrolled at the South African National Defence College for the Executive National Security Program.

In August 2012 he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed Commander Special Forces Command.

In 2013 and 2014 Muhoozi was one of the senior UPDF commanders who deployed to South Sudan to support the Government of South Sudan after fighting broke out in Juba between rival factions of the SPLA.

In 2013, General David Sejusa Tinyefuza wrote a letter in which he explained a plan with the intention of having Muhoozi succeed his father as president.

Army officers opposed to it were at risk of being assassinated.

Sejusa told the BBC that Uganda was being turned into a "political monarchy," which Muhoozi denied.

The letter led to the government's most aggressive attack on the media.

The police laid siege to the Daily Monitor for more than 10 days, while many in Uganda were surprised by the silence of the international community.

Tinyefuza spent over a year in exile in the United Kingdom before he returned.

Elwelu is known to have commanded the infamous raid on the Rwenzururu palace in Western Uganda in November 2016 in which he ordered UPDF to open fire on Rwenzururu royal guards, killing more than 100 of them.

He was later arrested for insubordination in 2016.

The term 'Muhoozi project' is no longer a taboo and even used frequently by Muhoozi fans on social media.

In 2017, Muhoozi was appointed Presidential Adviser, fueling speculations he was being prepared for the presidency.

He announced he was running for the office on 15 March 2023, despite his father also indicating he would run for re-election.

On 30 November 2021, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo launched a joint military offensive in Eastern Congo dubbed 'Operation Shujaa', led by Muhoozi.

The stated reason is to fight against the Ugandan rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

In 2017 Muhoozi was appointed Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Duties, a position he held until December 2020.

In February 2019, President Museveni, Muhoozi's father, promoted him to the rank of colonel, the second-highest rank in the UPDF army after general.

In June 2021, Muhoozi was appointed Commander of UPDF Land Forces, taking over from Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu who is now his deputy.

In February 2019, Rwanda closed the border accusing Uganda of supporting rebel groups in order to destabilize Rwanda.

Uganda accused the Rwanda government of spying.