In a major cabinet reshuffle in which five ministers were sacked, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni appointed his son General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as the head of the country’s armed forces.
The 79-year-old president, who has been in power since 1986, has denied speculation that he is grooming his only son as his successor, according to the BBC.
General Kainerugaba is regarded as a controversial figure.
In 2022 his father sacked him as commander of the army’s land forces after he made threats on Twitter, now known as X, to invade neighbouring Kenya.
Museveni also issued an apology to Kenya’s leader and asked Kenyans for ‘forgiveness’ on behalf of his son.
According to the BBC, however, the offending tweet has never been removed, and General Kainerugaba was promoted to general and retained as his father’s adviser.
He now replaces Gen Wilson Mbadi as head of the country’s defence forces. His predecessor has been moved to head the trade ministry.
The BBC reports that two of General Kainerugaba’s closest advisers have also been named as ministers in the reshuffle.