Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has sought to refute
persistent allegations that there were plans to have his son, Brig
Muhoozi Kainerugaba, controversially replace him as the leader of the
country in the near future.
The President at the weekend told television news outlet Al-Jazeera that "that man is an army officer [who] is not interested in politics.
He, however, did not rule out the possibility in the future.
In the interview aired Sunday night on the
sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Museveni said Brig
Kainerugaba "will not be interested in politics in the short run".
Brig Kainerugaba is the commanding officer of the
Special Forces Command, an elite military unit that guards the First
Family and sensitive installations in the east African country.
Asked whether the First Son is a potential
candidate to be the next President, Mr Museveni said: "That man is an
army officer... Certainly he will not be interested in politics in the
short run."
He added: "There can be no such [hereditary
transfer] because Uganda is not a monarchy, we go through elections.
There is no such transfer. Any leader of Uganda will have to go through
regular elections."
Mr Museveni, who has been in power for 27 years,
insisted that whether his son gets interested in politics in the long
run "is up to him and up to the people of Uganda".
In May, long simmering suggestions that Brig
Kainerugaba may be imposed on the country were thrust to the public fore
by renegade coordinator of intelligence services, Gen David Sejusa.
Gen Sejusa wrote a letter to the director general
of the country's Internal Security Organisation calling for a probe into
allegations that senior government and military officials, including
himself, opposed to the "Muhoozi Project" were in line to be eliminated.
Fugitive general
Gen Sejusa has since then been holed up in the
United Kingdom amidst pronouncements by the army that he faces treason
charges if he returns.
The country's Defence minister, Mr Crispus Kiyonga, told Parliament that such a project does not exist.
Opposition FDC president Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha
Muntu on Monday talked down the so-called "Muhoozi Project", contending
that the main focus [now] should be on the removal of Mr Museveni to nip
in the bud "whatever schemes he has".
"I do not spend time speculating on whether
Muhoozi is coming or is not coming. I focus all my attention on the
removal of President Museveni. Once you achieve that, then whatever
other thing anybody is engaged in becomes redundant," Gen Muntu said.
UPC vice president Joseph Bbosa said his party is
not opposed to the First Son assuming the presidency, but warned that
his bid must be subject to free and fair elections both at a party and
national level.
"All that we are concerned with is that he should
come through elections. He should not be imposed or given any
advantages," Mr Bbosa said.
SOURCE: REVIEW AFRICA
SOURCE: REVIEW AFRICA
