Museveni’s Son Issues Apology to the U.S. After Sanction Threats
Ugandan General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, has publicly apologised to the United States following growing calls for sanctions against him over alleged human rights abuses linked to Uganda’s highly disputed 2026 general elections.
In a statement released on Friday, January 30, General Muhoozi said he had deleted a series of controversial social media posts that had sparked outrage both locally and internationally.
He admitted that he had been misinformed when making the remarks, which attracted sharp criticism from foreign governments and human rights groups.
“I want to apologise to our great friends, the United States. I have spoken with the US Ambassador, and everything is okay. We will continue our military cooperation as usual,” Muhoozi said in his statement.
The Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) acknowledged that his earlier comments had placed unnecessary strain on Uganda’s diplomatic relations, particularly with the United States, which remains one of Uganda’s most important security and development partners.
Following the backlash, the Ugandan government moved quickly to contain the diplomatic fallout. Uganda’s Ambassador to the United States, Adonia Ayebare, played a key role in easing tensions by engaging directly with U.S. officials as concerns over the remarks escalated.
Ambassador Ayebare later confirmed that the matter had been resolved, emphasising that relations between Uganda and the United States remain strong, mutually beneficial, and a top foreign policy priority for Kampala.
The apology came in the wake of strong criticism from U.S. Senator Jim Risch, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Senator Risch had urged then-President Donald Trump to consider imposing sanctions on General Muhoozi over reports of severe election-related violence and alleged abuses committed by security forces in Uganda.
In his statement, Senator Risch called for a complete review of U.S.–Uganda security cooperation, arguing that Uganda’s human rights record had sharply deteriorated.
He described the political environment during the elections as increasingly repressive and incompatible with democratic standards.
The warning from Washington followed disturbing reports from opposition leader Bobi Wine, who claimed that masked soldiers had stormed his home, assaulted members of his family, and intimidated his supporters in the days surrounding the election.
President Yoweri Museveni was later declared the winner of the January elections after securing 7.9 million votes, giving him a seventh term in office.
His closest challenger, Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP), received 2.7 million votes, but rejected the results, citing widespread electoral fraud and voter intimidation.
General Muhoozi further inflamed international anger after posting on social media that he was personally responsible for the killing of 22 NUP supporters, whom he labelled as terrorists.
The statement was widely condemned as reckless and alarming, raising serious concerns about the conduct of security forces during the election period.
Senator Risch described the elections as largely meaningless, arguing that Uganda’s democratic decline mirrors trends seen in neighbouring countries such as Tanzania, where opposition voices have also faced increasing repression.
The electoral process was overshadowed by serious irregularities, including the arrest of more than 2,000 people nationwide and a countrywide internet shutdown that prevented independent monitoring and verification of the results.
Observers also reported widespread failures of biometric voter identification kits, forcing electoral officials to rely on a manual voting process.
Critics argue that the manual system created opportunities for ballot stuffing and manipulation, further undermining confidence in the outcome and deepening concerns about the credibility of Uganda’s electoral institutions.
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