Ugandan Generals Arrested As Muhoozi Fuels Succession Fever

At least a dozen generals and senior officers arrested in a 15-month purge, as the army chief threatens the vice presidency and fuels succession fever.

At least a dozen senior officers have been detained since April 2025. The army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced the demotion of a former deputy commander to private on social media. The crackdown has intensified questions about the future of Uganda’s leadership, as Museveni, 82, extends his rule into a fifth decade.

Gen Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, has openly declared his intention to seek the presidency in 2031. He leads the Patriotic League of Uganda, a political movement built around his potential candidacy.

The path to power is proving contentious. At a recent meeting of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), party officials reportedly called for Museveni to remove his son from the military to allow for a transition into civilian administration. Others have pointed to the president’s younger brother, Gen Salim Saleh, as a more suitable candidate for civilian leadership.

The arrests are not summarily done.

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“The underlying calculation appears to be that, so long as Muhoozi controls the SFC, he can use it to capture power even in an event of a contested transition,” said Dr Gerald Bareebe, a Ugandan-born political scientist at Canada’s York University, referring to what is often called the “Muhoozi Project.” He argues the SFC functions as a personal army for the president and his son, sidelining the regular army.

The most recent high-profile arrest was that of Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, the former deputy army chief, who was detained on November 2 over allegations of plotting to destabilize the eastern Teso region. Gen Kainerugaba publicly stripped him of his rank on the social media platform X, writing, “The traitor Peter Elwelu is hereby stripped of his ranks. He is demoted to Private.”

Other detained officers include Maj Gen James Birungi, a former head of defence intelligence and security, who was arrested in August 2025 on charges of treason and corruption. He was later released after Gen Kainerugaba announced he had “forgiven” him. Maj Gen Abel Kandiho was also detained in September over similar allegations.

The government has defended the security operations as lawful. Government spokesperson Allan Kasujja dismissed claims of a succession fallout as “hogwash.”

Gen Kainerugaba’s use of social media to make official announcements and public threats has become a hallmark of his leadership. On November 9, he directed posts at Vice-Jessica Alupo, demanding she hand over her position.

“Whoever is in that office should prepare to hand it over soon,” he wrote, before questioning her loyalty and suggesting the government would operate “on military terms” if he became his father’s deputy. His X account, with nearly 1.4 million followers, was subsequently taken down.

The political climate has also forced opposition figures out of the country. Bobi Wine, who came second to Museveni in this year’s presidential election, has gone into exile in the US after being threatened by Gen Kainerugaba. Veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains in detention on treason charges he denies.

The military has been central to Museveni’s hold on power since he seized control in 1986. As the succession debate intensifies, the loyalties of senior commanders and the influence of the family’s military grip will be paramount. Museveni remains in power. The arrests, his son’s threats, and the deepening divisions within the ruling party have cast a long shadow over how Uganda’s next political transition might unfold.