Inside Muhoozi’s decision to order expulsion of Turkish nationals from Uganda

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is no stranger to provocative posts on social media. But his latest directive ordering Turkish nationals to leave Uganda appears far more serious than one of his usual online pronouncements.

On September 9, 2026, Muhoozi ordered Turkish nationals to ‘pack their bags’ and leave Uganda, saying he had ‘severed ANYTHING to do with the Turks in Uganda’.

In the same series of posts, he announced a planned demonstration at the Turkish Embassy in Kampala on September 18 and warned that his position would not change.

‘We are demonstrating in full force at the Turkish Embassy on the 18th of September. Hon. Fadhil is in charge of this demonstration. PLU better do a good job. My order will not change this time. Instead, we will arrest ANY Turkish agent who says anything different!,” Muhoozi stated.

The latest escalation is the culmination of a dispute that has been building for months, dating back to April when Muhoozi threatened to sever all diplomatic ties with Turkey within 30 days.

The April warning

On April 11, Muhoozi warned that Uganda could end all diplomatic relations with Turkey if what he described as Uganda’s outstanding issues were not addressed.

“We are going to end ALL diplomatic relations with Turkey in the next 30 days if they do not address our issues!” he said, while also threatening to block Turkish Airlines.

The warning marked an early escalation in what would become a much broader dispute involving diplomatic relations, trade, infrastructure and Uganda’s demands concerning a government critic based in Turkey.

The Fred Lumbuye dispute

One of the central issues in the growing tension has been Ugandan blogger and government critic Fred Lumbuye, who is based in Turkey.

Muhoozi has repeatedly demanded that Turkish authorities either hand Lumbuye over to Uganda or take action against him. The issue has remained a recurring point of friction between Muhoozi and Ankara.

The Lumbuye dispute has also featured in calls for demonstrations against Turkey, with supporters of Muhoozi and the PLU presenting Ankara’s handling of the Ugandan activist as one of their grievances.

For Muhoozi, the issue has become part of a wider argument that Turkey has failed to adequately respond to Uganda’s concerns.

The SGR fallout

The tensions later spilt into one of Uganda’s biggest infrastructure projects.

In June, Muhoozi announced that Uganda had cancelled its multi-billion-dollar contract with Turkish construction company Yapı Merkezi for the Malaba-Kampala Standard Gauge Railway.

The project, valued at about Ksh 405 billion, was intended to connect Uganda’s railway network to the Kenyan border and form part of the country’s wider plans to expand rail transport.

Muhoozi also expanded his demands beyond Lumbuye and the SGR project.

He called on Turkey to pay Uganda Ksh129.4 billion as what he described as a ‘security dividend’, arguing that Ugandan troops deployed in Somalia had helped create an environment in which Turkish businesses could operate and benefit commercially.

The demand added another layer to an increasingly confrontational relationship, with Muhoozi presenting Uganda’s military contribution in Somalia as something Turkey should financially recognise.

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