Senior Presidential Adviser for Special Operations and first son, Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has recently spoken with sureness on both political and security issues through his official Twitter account.
This morning, the First Son once again made a rather provocative tweet that is likely to stir debate amongst political circles.
In his tweet, Gen. Muhoozi provocatively made a swipe at the Bobi Wine-led People Power movement from ‘trying to be his copycats!’
“People Power we just laugh! You’ve always tried to be like me but you can’t…” Gen. Muhoozi’s tweet read in part.
The General went ahead and clarified that the People Power members are ‘poorly copying him,’ by ‘copying the beret that he introduced to the UPDF!
“Why don’t you coin your own beret? The maroon/red beret is ours. Muhoozi and afande (Salim) Saleh!” Gen. Muhoozi’s wrote!
Last year, the UPDF Spokeperson, Brig. Richard Karemeire announced that the red beret and other pieces of military wear were gazetted as “property of the state.”
He made it clear that the process of standardising the army uniform started way back in 1996 and it has also included five different head gears won by units within the forces.
He warned, that anyone found wearing or sell the red berets would be prosecuted under military law, and consequences included serving a life sentence.
If it’s true, that Gen. Muhoozi introduced the red/maroon berets and they were part of the wear gazetted in 1996, the first son who was just 22 years of age at the time, must have been very influential to the extent that he introduced a uniform to the national army!
However, in his response, upon the announcement of the ban of red berets last year, People Power leader and Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, defined the ban as ‘a sham and a blatant attempt to suffocate a successful threat to the autocratic status quo!’
“But People Power is more than a red beret, we are bigger than our symbol. We are a booming political movement fighting for the future of Uganda and we will continue our struggle for democracy,” Bobi Wine said in statement last year.
In March this year, Gen. Muhoozi used the very same Twitter account and expressed willingness to meet and hold talks with his ‘long time friend’ Bobi Wine.
The first son claimed that his ‘supporters’ had always requested him to do so, but he had been reluctant.
In his response, Bobi Wine said he had no problem holding talks with Muhoozi but it must be done on conditions; “I am open to transparent talks with anyone but before that, you and your father should stop actions that have left many orphans, widows and torture victims,” Bobi Wine response read!