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Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba posted a series of messages on the social media platform X on November 9 accusing Vice President Jessica Alupo of supporting the alleged treachery of Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, who was arrested on November 2 according to local reports. The army chief, who serves as chief of defence forces, stated that Alupo would be dismissed from government soon and warned she faced arrest if investigations confirmed her involvement. Kainerugaba suggested the vice presidency should be handed over imminently and indicated he would run the government on military terms to end inefficiency, a series of posts reported by Pulse Uganda and The Citizen newspaper. His X account was deactivated the next day on November 10 with no official explanation provided by authorities.
A BBC assessment placed Kainerugaba at the centre of Uganda’s power struggle, noting his rapid rise and open discussions of succeeding his father who has ruled since 1986. According to Reuters, the 81-year-old Museveni began a seventh term in January 2026 after an election that saw Kainerugaba announce the detention of 2,000 opposition supporters and the deaths of 30 others described as terrorists from the National Unity Platform. The military chief has a history of incendiary posts, including past threats against opposition figures such as Bobi Wine and Kizza Besigye that were followed by arrests, Reuters reported from Kampala.
Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, a former deputy chief of defence forces, was detained amid claims of activities aimed at destabilising the country, multiple Ugandan outlets including Capital FM stated. Kainerugaba referenced earlier actions against opposition leaders in his November 9 posts, writing “I told you I would arrest Besigye and I did. I told you I would defeat Kabobi and I did. I told you I would arrest Lukwago and I did,” according to allAfrica.com which cited Capital FM. The vice president, a retired army major from the Teso region who has held office since 2021, faced accusations of backing Elwelu and previously supporting a 2016 challenge to Museveni by former prime minister Amama Mbabazi.
An Associated Press report from June detailed how Kainerugaba ordered the arrest of opposition lawyer Erias Lukwago after he attempted to serve court papers related to threats against another figure, with the military chief confirming the detention on social media and vowing to inflict hurt and pain. Reuters noted that Kainerugaba has consolidated power by sidelining critics within the ruling party and military while helping secure his father’s most recent election victory through a crackdown and internet blackout. The president’s son has repeatedly asserted his presidential ambitions, though Museveni has denied grooming him as successor, a Reuters analysis from January found.
Al Jazeera reporting in early November highlighted a broader crackdown on online critics of Museveni and his son, with activists alleging abductions and intimidation linked to criticism of Kainerugaba. The military chief’s posts have drawn mixed reactions, fuelling fevered discussion about succession as Museveni, now in his 80s, continues to dominate Ugandan politics after four decades. No response from Alupo or State House had been issued by mid-November regarding the threats or the vice president’s status, according to The Citizen.
Kainerugaba’s influence extends to media, with Reuters reporting in June that he ordered the shutdown of the Daily Monitor newspaper and NTV Uganda, declaring he did not believe in a free press and that outlets must be guided by revolutionary cadres. The move followed a pattern of restrictions after the January election, during which Kainerugaba threatened to treat the hiding opposition leader Bobi Wine as an outlaw if he did not surrender within 48 hours. Such actions have raised concerns among rights groups about the direction of governance should Kainerugaba assume higher office, though associates describe him as a dedicated officer whose posts are sometimes meant ironically.
