Kampala, Uganda – Uganda’s army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has issued an apology to the United States after briefly accusing its embassy in Kampala of helping opposition leader Bobi Wine evade authorities.
On Friday, Kainerugaba posted on social media that the army was suspending all cooperation with the U.S. embassy. Within an hour, however, he deleted the post, admitting he had been “fed with wrong information.”
Background: Election Fallout
The apology comes against the backdrop of heightened political tensions following Uganda’s presidential election earlier this month. President Yoweri Museveni, Kainerugaba’s father, was re-elected to a seventh term, a result Wine denounced as “blatant theft.”
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has since gone into hiding. His defiance has continued online, where he mocked the army’s inability to capture him:
“The whole army is looking for one person but they have failed to find me. That means they’re not as strong as they tell you.”
He urged supporters to resist peacefully, saying they should do “whatever is possible without breaking the law.”
Escalating Confrontation
Kainerugaba, widely seen as Museveni’s presumptive heir, has taken a hard line against Wine. Last week, he threatened to hunt down and kill the opposition leader, boasting that his forces had killed 30 supporters and arrested 2,000 more since the election.
Wine’s wife alleged she was assaulted during a raid on their home. Kainerugaba admitted responsibility for the raid but denied that Wine himself was attacked.
The army chief has also lashed out at Wine with inflammatory language, calling him a coward, a “baboon,” and a “terrorist.” His habit of posting offensive tweets often deleted later has further stoked controversy.
Rising Tensions in Uganda
The exchanges between Wine and Kainerugaba have raised fears of unrest in Uganda. Many citizens worry that an attack on Wine could trigger widespread instability in a country already grappling with political divisions.
While Kainerugaba’s apology to Washington may ease diplomatic tensions, his ongoing pursuit of Wine underscores the volatile political climate in Uganda, where opposition voices continue to face severe repression.
