Uganda Army Chief Threatens Deportation of Voters Who Don’t Choose His Father

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has ignited a firestorm of controversy with threats to deport citizens who vote against his father in the upcoming January 2026 general election.

In a series of inflammatory posts on X, Kainerugaba warned that those who fail to “support Mzee wholeheartedly” referring to Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 would be deemed “traitors” and face deportation.

The remarks have drawn widespread condemnation, raising fears of escalating authoritarianism as the country braces for a contentious election.

Kainerugaba, widely seen as being groomed to succeed his 80-year-old father, posted on Thursday, “We will deport all the traitors in public view!!”

The threat was coupled with other provocative statements, including a decree banning women in the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) from wearing trousers, insisting they march in skirts instead.

“Trousers are for men not for women,” he wrote, adding that anyone forcing female soldiers to wear trousers would “have a very bad day.”

The remarks come amid a mounting crackdown on opposition figures, with the election less than a year away.

Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, condemned Kainerugaba’s statements as evidence of “how law and order has broken down in Uganda.”

Bobi Wine

Wine, who plans to run for president again in 2026, has faced repeated harassment, including the recent abduction and alleged torture of his chief bodyguard, Eddie Mutwe, which Kainerugaba claimed responsibility for in earlier X posts.

Mutwe, an activist with Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), was seized near Kampala on April 27, 2025, by armed men.

Kainerugaba boasted on X that Mutwe was held in his “basement” and subjected to beatings, even alluding to further violence.

Uganda’s justice minister later confirmed Mutwe showed signs of torture when he appeared in court, prompting the Uganda Human Rights Commission to issue a release order.

The incident has fueled accusations that Museveni is using his son to suppress dissent.

Kainerugaba’s deportation threat has raised alarm both domestically and internationally.

Kainerugaba’s history of incendiary social media posts has repeatedly stirred controversy.

In January 2025, he threatened to behead Bobi Wine, and in 2022, he prompted a diplomatic spat by threatening to invade Kenya, forcing President Museveni to issue an apology.

The deportation threat has also sparked confusion, as Uganda lacks a clear policy for deporting its own citizens.

As the 2026 election approaches, the spotlight is on Museveni’s government to ensure a free and fair process.

Bobi Wine, speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, criticized Western nations for their muted response to Uganda’s “gross human rights violations” and vowed to continue his campaign despite the risks. “If I am still alive and not in jail, I will run,” he said.

For now, Kainerugaba’s threats have cast a shadow over Uganda’s democratic prospects, with many fearing that the military’s influence will only grow.