“Discipline Your Reckless Son Now or Risk the Army’s Reputation” General Muntu Warns Museveni
General Mugisha Muntu, a retired commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), has strongly criticized President Yoweri Museveni for staying silent about the actions of his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Muntu believes that the president’s silence is harming the image of the army and making people lose trust in government institutions.
In a recent interview, General Muntu said that Muhoozi, who is now the Chief of Defence Forces, is behaving in a way that breaks military rules. According to Muntu, if any other soldier behaved like Muhoozi, they would be punished or even removed from the army very quickly.
“Every soldier in the UPDF knows they wouldn’t be allowed to behave like Muhoozi for even a month,” Muntu said. He added that the president’s refusal to stop Muhoozi’s behavior is slowly destroying the army’s reputation.
Many people have criticized Muhoozi for making political statements and showing interest in becoming a political leader. These actions, they say, mix politics with military duties, which is not allowed in a professional army. Because Muhoozi is also the president’s son, people think he is being protected unfairly. This has led to more people accusing President Museveni of showing favoritism and not following the rules equally.
Muntu said that the army should serve the whole country, not just one family. He warned that Muhoozi’s behavior sets a bad example for younger soldiers and damages the army’s structure and leadership. If the president really disapproved of what Muhoozi is doing, Muntu said, then something would have been done to stop him by now.
“Staying silent doesn’t mean you are neutral,” Muntu said. “It means you are allowing it to happen.”
He called on President Museveni to show leadership by making sure that all soldiers, no matter who they are, follow the same rules and face the same punishments if they break them. Muntu said that giving special treatment to some people could make the army weaker and even divide the country.
Since Muntu spoke out, there has been a lot of discussion on social media. Many Ugandans agree with him and are asking for changes that will protect the army’s honesty and fairness.
