General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has revealed that Team MK (Muhoozi Kainerugaba) groups were created “for self defence” following intimidation of NRM supporters by opposition.
General Muhoozi made the revelation at a party held at Skyz hotel, Naguru, Kampala, last week to celebrate his promotion to a four star general.
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Guests at Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba Skyz hotel party (Photo by Francis Isaano)
”There’s been some kind of confusion that these groups are anti-government, they are trying to challenge government in some way. Never, how?! Me I call them self-defence groups because people in Kampala have been so intimidated by the opposition, that they formed these groups for self-defence,” Muhoozi said.
Muhoozi’s comments come weeks after President Museveni applauded Team MK groups for countering opposition groups he claimed were being paid to harass National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters in Kampala.
”But the MK Group resisted such and, so, I want to thank you for sticking with NRM through Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s birthday,” the president said September 17, at Masindi Golf Course while meeting political and religious leaders.
Several groups have in the last five years sprung up that openly refer to Muhoozi as “Uganda’s next president.”
These groups include; Team Chairman MK led by Museveni’s young brother Toyota Nuwagira, Revolutionary Guards Uganda, Patriots Club Uganda led by Paul Taremwa among others.
Most of these groups claim to be promoting poverty alleviation programmes among the youth but many Ugandans believe this is not the case.
Some Ugandans have since been wondering about the motives of these groups, with some suggesting that these could be political groups planning to challenge the government.
However, during an event to celebrate his elevation to General, at Skyz hotel, Muhoozi insisted that the MK forces are not political groups but rather self-defence groups.
He maintained that the groups were created by the patriotic youths and Ugandans to counter the intimidation NRM supporters were facing from opposition elements in urban centres most especially in Kampala.
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba raises hand in prayer at Skyz (Photo by Francis Isaano)
Muhoozi went on to say that to reduce on the confusion, the time had come to reorganise these “patriotic groups.”
”I think now we shall start grading this MK Army by your achievements and capabilities. So, right now, I would say Team Chairman are the commandos of the MK Army and the others have to catch up and do better than Team Chairman. They are being closely followed by Revolutionary Guards and the others,” the First son said.
He said that once these groups are reconstituted, the next task will be to transfer them into dealing with youth issues.
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba with wife Charlotte Kutesa at his handover (Photo by Francis Isaano)
Muhoozi further thanked the youth for being ideological and expressed willingness to work and support them if they give him an opportunity.
”As we used to say in military, they are ideologically correct. They know where this country came from, they know where it is and they know where we need to go. That’s why they are such a positive force and we must all support them,” the former Commander of Land Forces said.
On why he calls UPDF “My soldiers”
Furthermore, Muhoozi revealed that he has been occasionally misunderstood for labelling the UPDF soldiers as ‘my soldiers’.
Prior to his latest promotion, Muhoozi caused uproar on social media when through a controversial tweet, said ‘his army’, the UPDF would capture Kenya’s capital Nairobi in two weeks.
Then Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba visits the troops.
The tweet angered some Ugandans who condemned the first son for what they said was ‘personalisation’ of the national army.
However, Muhoozi said he has often been wrongly interpreted for calling the UPDF his army. He said he usually refers the army to his army because he loves the soldiers as much as he loves his children.
“I was very passionate about the army, you all saw me. I used to call them my soldiers. People would say why are you calling them my soldiers. It’s because I love them. If the commander says ‘the nation soldiers’ that means you’re not taking responsibility for them. A commander is like a father of his soldiers,” the first son said.
