I Like Muhoozi the President’s Son, But Muhoozi the President, I Don’t Support Him and I Can’t Hide – Gen Otafiire Sets the Record Straight

Veteran politician and Minister of Internal Affairs Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire has once again explained his position on Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s presidential ambitions, insisting that he has no personal hatred for President Yoweri Museveni’s son but does not support him becoming Uganda’s next president.

Otafiire made his position clear in a February 2024 interview, where he dismissed claims that he was against Muhoozi as an individual. He said his disagreement was specifically about the possibility of the general taking over the presidency from his father.

“People say I hate Muhoozi, the president’s son. I do not personally hate him,” Otafiire said, before making a distinction between Muhoozi as Museveni’s son and Muhoozi as a potential president.

“What I don’t support is him becoming president. There is a difference. Kainerugaba the president’s son, I like him, but Kainerugaba the president, I don’t support him, and I cannot hide,” he added.

The veteran minister has repeatedly argued that Uganda’s presidency should not be treated as a family inheritance. He has challenged the idea that Muhoozi should automatically succeed Museveni, saying the general must prove his leadership abilities to Ugandans and compete through democratic processes.

In December 2022, Otafiire told NTV Uganda that Muhoozi had the democratic right to contest for president, even against his own father. However, he maintained that he and other NRM members wanted Museveni to remain the party’s presidential flag bearer for the 2026 elections.

Otafiire has also criticised Muhoozi’s public political statements while serving in the military, arguing that military officers should avoid partisan political involvement. He has warned that such conduct could set a poor example for other officers and undermine the principles of a politically neutral army.

Their disagreement has recently escalated following Otafiire’s remarks in Parliament about generals who prefer violence to resolve disputes. Muhoozi appeared to interpret the comments as an attack on him and demanded an apology, first giving Otafiire one week before reducing the deadline to three days. He also threatened to have the minister arrested, further intensifying the public feud between the two senior figures.