Uganda’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has moved to cool tensions with Kenya, signalling a visit to President William Ruto and offering a rare public note of contrition for past remarks that rattled relations between the neighbours.
In a post on X, General Muhoozi said he planned to travel to Kenya in the coming months to meet President Ruto, whom he described as his “big brother”. He added that he was ready to make amends for earlier missteps, even invoking a traditional gesture of compensation.
“If I made mistakes in the past, I am ready to pay cows for my errors,” he wrote. “The brotherly relationship between Uganda and Kenya can never be broken.”
The language marked a sharp contrast to comments he made in 2022 that drew regional attention and diplomatic concern. At the time, General Muhoozi tweeted that it would take Ugandan forces less than two weeks to capture Nairobi, a remark that quickly went viral and sparked unease in Kenya.
“It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, two weeks to capture Nairobi,” he wrote then, before later deleting the post.
The fallout was swift. Uganda’s Foreign Ministry issued a formal apology and sought to distance the government from the comments, stressing that they did not reflect official policy. Kenyan officials, while measured in public, made clear that the remarks were taken seriously.
General Muhoozi, the son of President Yoweri Museveni and a central figure in Uganda’s security establishment, is well known for his outspoken presence on social media. His posts, often informal and personal, have at times blurred the line between private opinion and state authority, prompting debate both at home and abroad.
Kenya and Uganda share deep economic, political and security ties. Kenya is one of Uganda’s largest trading partners and a key route to the sea for the landlocked country. The two governments also work closely on regional security, particularly in efforts to stabilise parts of East and Central Africa.
There has been no immediate public response from State House in Nairobi to General Muhoozi’s latest remarks. Analysts say the tone of reconciliation is likely to be welcomed, though they note that relations between states are shaped as much by actions as by words.
For now, General Muhoozi’s message appears aimed at closing a chapter that once strained a relationship long seen as one of East Africa’s most stable and at signalling that, at least publicly, the mood has shifted from bravado to bridge-building.
About the Author
