Throwback! When Gen Otafiire Drew A Gun At Gen Muhoozi’s Mother-In-Law And Resigned From Cabinet

The recent public exchange between Minister of Water and Environment Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has brought renewed attention to an incident involving Otafiire and Muhoozi’s late mother-in-law, Jennifer Kuteesa.

Historical accounts indicate that Otafiire, who was serving as a government minister at the time, was involved in a public altercation with Jennifer Kuteesa in the late 1980s and drew a pistol during the confrontation.

Jennifer was the late wife of former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kuteesa and the mother of Charlotte Kuteesa, who later married Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba in 1999.

According to accounts of the incident, the confrontation took place in Kampala in October 1988. The circumstances of the argument have been reported differently over the years, but multiple historical reports confirm that Otafiire drew a gun during the altercation.

The incident had serious consequences for Otafiire's position in government. Reports indicate that he tendered his resignation the following month, and then-President Yoweri Museveni accepted it.

In accepting the resignation, Museveni said the NRM government would not tolerate indiscipline regardless of the position held by the person involved.

Otafiire later returned to government and resumed holding senior positions, including serving as State Minister for Local Government after the 1996 elections.

The decades-old incident has resurfaced amid the latest disagreement between Otafiire and Muhoozi, adding a historical layer to tensions involving two senior figures who have remained prominent in Uganda's political and security establishment.