I am not grooming my son to take over power from me, says Museveni

President Museveni has dismissed as untrue, reports that he is grooming his son, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba  who is also the commander of Land Forces in the UPDF to take over power from him.

“They are not serious. Why should I groom my son? The people of Uganda are there and will select whom they want,” Museveni said while responding to a question from France 24 about reports of grooming his son for presidency.

Under a scheme that has been named as “Muhoozi Project” Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has been a subject of debate for many years by the public with claims that he is being groomed to succeed his father, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The talk about the project gained prominence in 2013 when the then coordinator of intelligence services, Gen David Sejusa talked about the same in a missive that later leaked to the media.

In 2016, Gen Muhoozi distanced himself from the claims saying, “It doesn’t exist. It is non-existent. I don’t have any ambition to be president. I am very happy in the military and that is where I intend to be.”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with France 24 earlier this week, Museveni insisted that those talking about him grooming his son for presidency are not serious.

Bobi Wine

In the interview, Museveni spoke about his rival in the just concluded January 14 polls, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine whom he insisted is being supported by foreign actors.

“Originally they started off as an internal group because of our internal issues but then they get recruited by external actors and then that’s how his (Bobi Wine) movement failed. That’s how he was defeated. He was defeated in spite of cheating,” Museveni said.

Asked whether he is afraid of the challenge posed by Bobi Wine, Museveni laughed it off.

I am not afraid at all.”