The Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has said he will engage President Museveni to push for the cancellation of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) contract with Turkish construction firm Yapı Merkezi.
“I’m going to speak to Mzee, we will cancel the contract we have with the Turkish company on the SGR. I have many Chinese companies that will do a better job for less money,” Muhoozi wrote on his X account in the early hours of Friday.
The remarks introduce fresh uncertainty around the Kisumu–Malaba SGR extension, a flagship regional infrastructure project recently launched by President Museveni alongside William Ruto, and widely seen as critical to improving cargo movement along East Africa’s busiest trade corridor.
Muhoozi’s comments come at a sensitive diplomatic moment, with Foreign Affairs Minister Abubaker Jeje Odongo currently in Türkiye attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 from April 17 to 19.
The high-level gathering, hosted at the NEST Congress and Exhibition Centre under the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” brings together global leaders to discuss investment and geopolitical cooperation.
Odongo’s visit follows a week of heightened diplomatic engagement between Kampala and Ankara, including two meetings with Turkey’s ambassador to Uganda, amid concerns triggered by Muhoozi’s recent social media posts.
In one widely circulated message, Muhoozi stated that Uganda “stands with Israel spiritually and strategically,” signalling support for Tel Aviv.
In another, he warned that “any aggression against Israel will have consequences for its adversaries,” remarks analysts interpret as touching on sensitivities involving regional actors such as Iran and Turkey.
Additional posts suggested Uganda would be “ready to act in defence of its allies if required,” language that diplomats say departs from the country’s long-held non-aligned posture and risks complicating foreign policy messaging.
Officials in Kampala have moved to contain the fallout. Earlier this week, Odongo and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Henry Oryem Okello separately met the Turkish ambassador, discussions understood to have focused on reaffirming bilateral ties and clarifying Uganda’s official position.
Analysts say Odongo’s presence at the Antalya forum is likely to extend beyond economic diplomacy, with expectations that he will use the platform to reassure Turkish officials and emphasise continuity in Uganda’s foreign policy, despite increasingly public interventions by senior military figures.
Muhoozi’s latest comments on the SGR contract are likely to further test those reassurances, particularly given Turkey’s growing role in Uganda’s infrastructure sector and the strategic importance of the railway project to regional trade integration.
