Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has launched fresh criticism against Vice President Jessica Alupo, accusing her of supporting former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi against President Yoweri Museveni during the 2016 presidential elections.
Muhoozi brought up the controversial election period while making remarks about Alupo’s political history, suggesting that her alleged support for Mbabazi remains an issue that has not been forgotten by those close to the President. Mbabazi challenged Museveni in the 2016 elections after breaking away from the ruling National Resistance Movement.
The CDF claimed that Alupo supported Mbabazi to the maximum when he challenged Museveni, whom he referred to as Mzee. He appeared particularly unhappy about what he described as the Vice President’s political position during that period, questioning why anyone would expect such actions to have been forgotten.
“Supported Amama Mbabazi to the maximum when he stood against Mzee. If they think we have forgotten about that, they are joking,” Muhoozi remarked.
His comments have brought renewed attention to the political relationship between Alupo and the Museveni family, particularly at a time when discussions about Uganda’s future leadership and possible changes in senior government positions are attracting considerable public interest.
Muhoozi’s remarks also come amid his increasingly direct statements about the vice presidency. He recently suggested that whoever occupies the office should prepare to hand it over soon, comments that have been interpreted as signalling his own ambitions to become Uganda’s next Vice President.
The military chief further suggested that Alupo could be required to account for any established involvement in activities allegedly connected to retired Gen Peter Elwelu. However, these claims have not been independently established, and Alupo had not publicly responded to the latest accusations at the time of publication.
For now, Muhoozi’s latest remarks have placed Alupo under renewed political scrutiny, with his reference to the 2016 elections showing that the events surrounding Mbabazi’s challenge against Museveni remain a subject of political discussion more than a decade later.
About the Author
