Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Gen Muhoozi: I Am Not Harbouring Presidential Ambitions

Gen Muhoozi: I Am Not Harbouring Presidential Ambitions

The commander of the Special Forces Command, who also doubles as the first son, Maj Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 42, has denied nursing presidential ambitions.
Addressing journalists at the Ministry of Defence headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, Maj Gen Muhoozi said he was happy being in the military, dismissing the so-called ‘Muhoozi project’ as nothing but rumours.
“That project is nonexistent,” Muhoozi told journalists.
“I am very happy in the military and in case I wanted to join politics, I know the procedures to go through,” he added as journalists took good positions for photographs.
The comments come high on the heels of claims especially by the opposition that Muhoozi was being groomed to succeed President Museveni.
President Museveni has previously denied reports that Muhoozi would succeed him as head-of-state, saying there are clearly laid down procedures for one to occupy the highest political seat in the land.
Following Muhoozi’s promotion from Brigadier to Major General, commentators said his rise in the army ranks was being being fast-tracked.
Muhoozi, who received military training at Sandhurst, Fort Leavenworth and other prestigious military colleges in South Africa and Egypt, rubbished rumours of favouritism in his promotion – insisting it is the UPDF Promotions Board that recommended him.
“I don’t sit on the board and I am sure the promotion is done on merit,” said the youthful commander.
After attending several military courses, Muhoozi was 2010 appointed the Commander of the Special Forces Group (which was formed out of the former Presidential Guards Brigade and 1 Commando Battalion).
In 2012, the Special Forces Group was expanded into a Special Forces Command.
Muhoozi has participated in and led a whole host of operations from counter-insurgency actions against the Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda and Teso in the early 2000s to Peace Support Operations in Somalia.
He was recently one of the key commanders involved in the planning and execution of Operation Kalongero (the UPDF’s effort to stabilize the volatile situation in South Sudan after fighting broke out in Juba on December 15th -16th 2013).
On the alleged autonomy of the Special Forces Command, Muhoozi said the elite force is still part and parcel of the army.
“You will on many occasions see me salute my commanders in the UPDF. There may be adjustments but we are still working under the UPDF,” he added

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