First Son Dragged To Court Over ‘illegal’ Presidential Utterances

Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the first son and Commander of the Land Forces in the UPDF, has been sued in the Constitutional Court for expressing political beliefs.

The first respondent is Gen Muhoozi, who is being sued alongside the Chief of Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Wilson Mbadi, and Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

Gawaya Tegulle, a human rights lawyer, went to the Constitutional Court in Kampala on Friday, seeking an order compelling Lt General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to suspend his political objective while serving in the army.

He claims that Lt Gen Muhoozi is abusing his Twitter handle in violation of Article 208(2) of the Ugandan Constitution, as represented by his lawyers at Nalukoola Advocates and Solicitors and Thomas and Michael Advocates.

According to Article 208(2) of the constitution, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces must be nonpartisan, national in character, patriotic, professional, disciplined, productive, and subordinate to the civilian administration.

Gawaya claims it was unconstitutional for a serving army officer to conduct multiple birthday celebrations across the country on his 48th birthday, with thousands of people wearing “MK@48” t-shirts proclaiming him as Uganda’s next president.

In his appeal, he further claims that Lt Gen Muhoozi has made political statements on

Gawaya has filed a lawsuit against the Chief of Defense Forces for remaining silent while his subordinates violate the constitution and the UPDF Act.

He’s also suing the Attorney General for allegedly failing to provide the UPDF in general and Kainerugaba, the current Commander of the Land Forces, with excellent, appropriate, and proper legal counsel and guidance.

“The first respondent/Muhoozi, who also happens to be the son of Uganda’s current President General Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni, is receiving unlawful and unconstitutional preferential treatment from the UPDF and is not being duly reprimanded, supervised, or otherwise called by the 2nd respondent simply because he is the President’s son, which manifestly contravenes Article 21 that provides for the reprimand, supervision,

Gawaya has attached dozens of tweets posted by Kainerugaba which he believes are political in nature. Some tweets include one where Muhoozi is being quoted saying he will not stop until he is in control of power in this country, tweets praising the Chwezi dynasty, MK revolution and pictures of his supporters donned in his T-shirts with inscriptions that Muhoozi is our next President and those ones with his campaign pictures.

Lawyer Nalukoola Luyimbazi says Muhoozi wants the court to force him to stop participating in political activities and to direct the Attorney General and Chief of Defense Forces to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without fear or favor.

Before the matter may be set for pretrial hearing and heard by a Panel of five Constitution Court Justices, the Constitutional Court must summon Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, and the Attorney General, who are designated jointly as respondents.