Note:
By promising a confrontation with the American Ambassador, Gen Kainerugaba, is communicating to an increasing deterioration of relations between the U.S. and the Ugandan government.
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Commander of Defence Forces, has in a shocking revelation, accused the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, William W. Popp, of disrespecting President Yoweri Museveni and undermining the constitution of Uganda.
Without providing further details, Muhoozi warns that a confrontation between authorities in Uganda and Ambassador Popp is in the offing.
“Fellow Ugandans, it is my solemn duty to announce to you all that we as a nation are about to have a serious confrontation with the current US Ambassador to our country. For disrespecting our beloved and celebrated president and for undermining the constitution of Uganda,” Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday.
Ambassador Popp, who is a career member of the America’s Senior Foreign Service, a rank of Career Minister, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador to Uganda on July 27, 2023.
He served as U.S. ambassador to Guatemala from 2020 to 2023 and as the deputy chief of the mission of the U.S. Mission in Brazil where he was also the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. from 2018 to 2020. Prior to that, he was the political counsellor and then the Acting Deputy Chief of the mission of the U.S. Embassy in Kenya (2015-2017).
According to Muhoozi, the accusations against Popp aren’t about him (Muhoozi) personally or President Museveni but the entire population of Uganda.
“It is not only General MK. It is President Museveni, the government, and the people of Uganda, too. This is not a personal issue between me and the current US Ambassador, this is a national issue, and you’ll see that NO foreign country will ever dominate Uganda again,” wrote Gen Kainerugaba.
Our efforts to reach the U.S. mission in Uganda for a comment were futile.
Muhoozi’s warning comes only a day after the U.S. Department of State announced travel sanctions on four officers of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) on allegations of gross violation of human rights, including torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment.
The sanctioned officers include Bob Kagarura, former Wamala Regional Police Commander, and Alex Mwine, former District Police Commander for Mitanya District.
Others are Elly Womanya, who at the time of the alleged human violation was Senior Commissioner and Deputy Director of UPF’s Criminal Investigations Division in charge of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), and Hamdani Twesigye, previously Deputy Inspector of Police assigned to the SIU.
Kagarura, Mwine, Twesigye, and Womanya were allegedly involved in “serious and credible” gross violations of human rights, as documented by Ugandan civil court documents, civil society organisations and independent journalists.
Some of the officers designated have since retired from the force or transferred and appointed to new roles. The statement did not mention when the alleged human rights violations were committed.