The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has apologised to the United States following a series of social media posts in which he accused the US Embassy in Kampala of undermining military cooperation and allegedly aiding opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine.
In a statement issued after deleting the posts, Gen Muhoozi said his remarks were based on incorrect information and followed consultations with the US Ambassador to Uganda, after which he said bilateral relations had been stabilised.
“I want to apologise to our great friends the United States for my earlier tweets that I have now deleted. I was being fed with wrong information,” Gen Muhoozi said.
He added that discussions with the American envoy had resolved the matter and that military cooperation would continue.
“I have spoken with the US Ambassador to our country and everything is okay. We are going to continue our military cooperation as usual,” he said.
The CDF also credited Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, for helping to ease tensions, praising his diplomatic engagement and expressing hope that President Museveni would one day appoint him Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The apology followed a diplomatic storm triggered by posts on X, formerly Twitter, in which Gen Muhoozi accused officials at the US Embassy of undermining security cooperation between the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the United States for more than a decade.
In one post, he claimed the cooperation had been weakened “since 2015” by what he described as “unimaginative bureaucrats” at the embassy, despite what he said were strong political relations between Kampala and Washington.
Gen Muhoozi also alleged, without providing evidence, that Kyagulanyi had “kidnapped himself” and gone into hiding in coordination with the US Embassy.
He went on to announce what he described as a suspension of “all cooperation” between the UPDF and the US Embassy in Kampala, including operations related to Somalia.
Uganda has been one of the largest troop contributors to Somalia for nearly two decades, working closely with the United States through training, intelligence sharing, logistics support and counter-terrorism operations against al-Shabaab.
The US remains a key security partner for Uganda and the wider Horn of Africa region.
The comments came amid ongoing US diplomatic engagements with regional governments, including Kenya, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, focused on regional stability and Somalia’s security transition.
Security analysts have noted that any abrupt suspension of cooperation would have significant implications for regional counter-terrorism efforts, though it remained unclear whether Gen Muhoozi’s remarks reflected official government policy or a personal position.
Gen Muhoozi has previously issued threats to withdraw Ugandan troops from Somalia and has a history of tense public exchanges with the US Embassy, including past demands for apologies from former US Ambassador William Popp.
Opposition figures have dismissed similar claims against foreign missions as politically motivated, while rights groups say the episode underscores broader diplomatic strain amid increased international scrutiny of Uganda’s governance and human rights record.
