HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s decision to deactivate his X account appears to have been prompted by the political storm that followed his controversial demand for Vice President Jessica Alupo to vacate her office, amid growing questions about his conduct as Uganda’s serving Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
The army chief’s account, @mkainerugaba, displayed an “account doesn’t exist” notice on Tuesday morning, November 10, 2026, just hours after he published a series of posts on Monday evening demanding that Alupo prepare to leave the Vice Presidency.
Although neither Muhoozi, State House nor the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has officially explained the circumstances surrounding the deactivation, the timing has raised speculation that the general could have withdrawn from the platform following the backlash generated by his remarks.
His latest social media controversy has once again brought into focus the political implications of his public statements, particularly because he occupies one of the country’s most senior military positions.
Backlash over demand to replace Alupo
The immediate trigger for the controversy was Muhoozi’s suggestion that he should take over from Alupo, whom he accused of being disloyal to President Yoweri Museveni.
In one of his posts, the general declared: “Whoever is in that office should prepare to hand it over soon.”
He subsequently made his intentions clearer, suggesting that he should become Vice President and promising to run government “on military terms” to eliminate what he described as inefficiency.
In another post, Muhoozi accused Alupo of supporting former prime minister Amama Mbabazi when he challenged Museveni in the 2016 presidential election.
He also referred to her as a traitor, adding that she had occupied his seat for long enough.
“As Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Jessica will be dismissed from our government soon. We have very many supporters in Teso. We don’t have to rely on traitors,” he posted.
The remarks attracted considerable attention because Alupo, a retired army major, has served as Vice President since 2021.
More importantly, Muhoozi’s comments appeared to suggest an attempt to influence an office whose appointment is constitutionally vested in the President, subject to parliamentary approval.
Article 108 of the Constitution provides for the appointment of a Vice President by the President, with the approval of Parliament by a simple majority.
Consequently, Muhoozi’s public declaration that he should replace Alupo raised questions about the boundaries between military authority and civilian political leadership.
Concerns about political boundaries
Another possible reason behind the account’s disappearance is the controversy surrounding the political nature of Muhoozi’s statements while serving as CDF.
As the head of the UPDF, his public pronouncements attract considerable attention because they can be interpreted as reflecting the position of the country’s military establishment.
His suggestion that government would operate more efficiently under military terms particularly raised questions about the relationship between military leadership and Uganda’s constitutional civilian governance structures.
The controversy also came against the background of previous reports that Museveni had urged government officials and members of the public to treat his son’s unpredictable social media posts as jokes to avoid unnecessary political tensions.
However, his latest remarks targeting the Vice President were particularly sensitive because they involved a senior constitutional officeholder.
A familiar pattern of disappearing from X
Muhoozi’s latest deactivation is not the first time he has temporarily withdrawn from the social media platform following controversial statements.
In January 2025, he deactivated his account after a series of contentious posts targeting opposition figures, including National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, and Dr Kizza Besigye.
He subsequently announced that he was leaving X to concentrate on his military responsibilities, claiming he was doing so under “the instructions and blessings of my Lord Jesus Christ”.
However, he returned six days later with a brief message: “I’m back!”
His 2022 departure followed another diplomatic controversy after he claimed that military forces under his command could capture Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, within two weeks.
The remarks triggered diplomatic tensions between Uganda and Kenya, forcing Museveni to publicly apologise to the neighbouring country.
Muhoozi subsequently returned to the platform after a brief absence.
Questions remain over his next move
The latest disappearance also comes amid conflicting statements by Muhoozi about his military future.
Earlier in November, he suggested that he was preparing to leave his position as CDF, before subsequently indicating that he intended to remain in office for at least another year.
His latest comments about replacing Alupo have therefore added another layer of uncertainty to questions surrounding his political ambitions.
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