Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee has postponed budget proposals for the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA), demanding the physical presence of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
The session aimed to assess budget estimates presented by State Minister for Defence Jacob Oboth Oboth on Friday, January 17, 2025, ended up in chaos as Shadow Cabinet Minister Derrick Nyeko demanded the whereabouts of the CDF.
Nyeko brought up the issue arising from Gen Muhoozi’s controversial statements on X.
He sharply questioned Gen Muhoozi’s intention of issuing threats to behead two former presidential candidates, Robert Kyagulanyi and Dr Kizza Besigye.
These allegations from the shadow cabinet minister sparked a heated uproar among the committee members demanding Gen Muhoozi’s justification for his tweets.
However, Minister Oboth Oboth clarified that he could not answer personal queries on behalf of General Muhoozi.
“Regarding his tweets, as a ministry, we do not manage his social media account; it is not an official matter,” he said. “It is personal, as you have stated, and I would be glad if he could appear to address this.”
Ntwetwe County MP Joel Ssebikaali, who questioned the capability of the CDF’s tweets in fostering harmony between the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and civilians.
“The primary mandate of the UPDF is to defend the sovereignty of our nation, but there’s also a mandate to foster harmony and understanding between the defence forces and the public,” Ssebikaali remarked.
Consequently, the Committee has mandated the Ministry of Defence to return on Monday, January 20, 2025, with General Kainerugaba to answer the committee’s questions and review the budget proposals.
In response, General Muhoozi condemned the members of the committee demanding his presence insisting that he will not appear before Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee but instead arrest them.
