General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni and Chief of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), expressed his frustrations with U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, William W. Popp, in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday, October 4, 2024.
His remarks came in response to U.S. sanctions imposed on senior Ugandan police officers over claims of human rights abuses.
Muhoozi accused the American envoy of undermining President Museveni’s government following the U.S. sanctions on four officers of the Uganda Police Force (UPF), whom the Department of State identified as having engaged in gross human rights violations, including torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
“Fellow Ugandans, it is my solemn duty to announce to you all that we as a nation are about to have a serious confrontation with the current US Ambassador to our country. For disrespecting our beloved and celebrated President and for undermining the constitution of Uganda,” Muhoozi wrote on X on Friday morning.
Travel sanctions
The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, announced the travel sanctions against four UPF officers: Bob Kagarura, then-Wamala Regional Police Commander; Alex Mwine, then-District Police Commander for the Mitanya District; Elly Womanya, then-Senior Commissioner and Deputy Director of the UPF’s Criminal Investigations Division in charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU); and Hamdani Twesigye, then-Deputy Inspector of Police assigned to the SIU.
The sanctions, which also apply to their immediate family members, render them generally ineligible for entry into the United States.
“The Department of State is taking action today to promote accountability for human rights violations committed in Uganda by designating four members of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) due to their involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment,” the Department of State said in a statement.
Muhoozi, angered by the sanctions, took his frustrations out on Ambassador Popp and escalated the matter throughout the day.
“It is not only General MK. It is President Museveni, the government, and the people of Uganda too. This is not a personal issue between me and the current US Ambassador, this is a national issue and you’ll see that NO foreign country will ever dominate Uganda again!” he wrote in another post.
Muhoozi further demanded a personal apology from the U.S. ambassador to his father, President Museveni.
If no apology was received by Monday morning, Muhoozi warned, Ambassador Popp would be expelled from Uganda.
“If this current US Ambassador does not apologize to Mzee personally by Monday morning (9.00am) for his undiplomatic behaviour in our country we will demand he leaves Uganda. We have no problem with the USA, as I have said many times it is a country we love and admire. But lately we have a lot of evidence that they have been working against the NRM government,” he asserted.
Muhoozi reiterated his threat later in the day, stating, “I haven’t forgotten about the U.S. Ambassador. He will leave on Monday if he doesn’t personally apologize to Mzee.”
Several govt officials sanctioned
The U.S. sanctions stem from allegations of human rights violations linked to the mistreatment of opposition MP Francis Zaake in the run-up to Uganda’s 2021 general elections.
The U.S. Department of State emphasized that the evidence of the officers’ involvement, as documented by Ugandan civil courts, civil society organizations, and independent journalists, was serious and credible.
The sanctions against Kagarura, Mwine, Womanya, and Twesigye are part of the U.S. government’s broader efforts to promote accountability for human rights violations in Uganda.
These actions follow similar sanctions imposed on other Ugandan officials, including senior officers of the UPDF and Uganda Prisons Service, over claims of human rights abuses and economic crimes.
In a separate statement, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, highlighted that the sanctions reinforce the U.S.’s commitment to advancing human rights in Uganda.
“By publicly designating these individuals, the United States reaffirms its commitment to advancing the human rights of all Ugandans and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations,” Miller said.
This latest round of sanctions adds to a growing list of Ugandan government officials targeted by the U.S. over claims of human rights abuses.
Notable figures previously sanctioned include former Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura, Maj-Gen Abel Kanduho, former head of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, and Johnson Byabashaija, Commissioner-General of Uganda Prisons Service.
These individuals have faced travel bans and, in some cases, financial sanctions over claims of economic crimes and human rights violations.
The United States has remained a critical voice against human rights abuses in Uganda.
On May 30, 2024, it sanctioned five other Ugandan officials, including Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and the former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, over claims of corruption and other abuses.
The sanctions followed similar measures taken by the United Kingdom in April 2024, which froze the assets of several Ugandan officials in London.
Muhoozi’s ultimatum to the U.S. ambassador now raises concerns over a potential diplomatic confrontation between Uganda and the United States.
The growing tension underscores a widening rift as Uganda’s government continues to face criticism over its handling of opposition figures and claims of suppression of dissent.
As Muhoozi declared his readiness to escalate the situation if no apology is forthcoming, it remains to be seen how the U.S. will respond and whether the ambassador will indeed be expelled from Uganda on Monday morning.
The developments could mark a significant shift in U.S.-Uganda relations at a time when international scrutiny of human rights abuses in the East African nation is intensifying.
