Generals Arrested and Vice-President Threatened as Ugandan President's Son Stirs Succession Fears
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's army chief and the son of President Yoweri Museveni, has overseen the arrests of at least a dozen generals and senior officers in 15 months. He has also threatened Vice-President Jessica Alupo with dismissal as tensions over succession grow.
In Uganda, at least a dozen generals and senior officers have been arrested over the past 15 months under army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. He is the son of 82-year-old President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the East African country since 1986, and is widely seen as a possible successor. The arrests come as political tension over who will take power after Museveni keeps rising.
Threats against the vice-president
On the night of 9 November, Kainerugaba posted on X demanding the office of Vice-President Jessica Alupo, writing that whoever holds it should prepare to hand it over soon. He questioned her loyalty and threatened her with dismissal, adding that the government would run "on military terms" if he became deputy. The posts were later deleted, and his account became inaccessible the next day. It is unclear whether he deactivated it himself or the platform suspended it. Alupo remains in office and has not responded publicly.
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) denied reports that its leadership had rejected a proposal to back Kainerugaba as the next president, calling them "completely false". The AFP news agency, citing five attendees of a closed meeting, reported that a vote was abandoned after several members objected. The website ChimpReports said most speakers supported him.
Detained officers
The most prominent case is Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, a former deputy army chief, detained on 2 November over alleged plans to destabilise the eastern Teso region. Kainerugaba announced on social media that Elwelu had been stripped of his rank and demoted to private, although Ugandan media say military rules do not allow this. Elwelu's family rejects the allegations.
The Daily Monitor newspaper counts three former military intelligence chiefs among those held, and some detainees were released after Kainerugaba said he had forgiven them. The military says the arrests are part of an anti-corruption effort. Political scientist Gerald Bareebe says they are politically motivated and aimed at officers opposed to the so-called "Muhoozi Project". A government spokesperson dismissed claims of a succession rift as "hogwash".
Kainerugaba has indicated that he intends to run for president in 2031.
