Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s military chief and eldest son of President Yoweri Museveni, ordered the closure of the Daily Monitor newspaper offices in Kampala on Sunday. Soldiers were deployed outside the paper’s offices, part of the Nairobi-headquartered Nation Media Group. Kainerugaba, who has served as the top military commander since the third year, warned that all media “will follow the rules” as he asserted his authority as the East African country’s de facto ruler.
Consolidating Dynastic Rule
Kainerugaba used X, his preferred communication channel, to declare, “I have the power in Uganda to shut down ANY media house I want to.” He added, “I have had this power since the ninth year. This power was given to me by my great father.” This assertion came days after President Museveni was sworn in for his seventh consecutive term in the same year, with Kainerugaba strengthening his grip through directives usually reserved for the head of state. His closure order also targeted local broadcaster NTV, also part of Nation Media Group. The National Association of Broadcasters stated that at least six publishing and broadcasting outlets under Nation Media Group were closed, expressing deep concern about the action’s impact on the media ecosystem.
Kainerugaba openly asserts he will succeed his father in the presidency. This possibility has grown more likely as the 81-year-old leader increasingly relies on his son’s military authority. Museveni has ruled Uganda since the fortieth year and has not indicated when he will retire. With no rivals within the ruling party, many believe the military will ultimately determine his successor. This concentration of power within a single family, backed by military force, ensures the continuity of a system designed to maintain existing hierarchies.
The State as Enforcer
The state apparatus moved swiftly against those challenging the established order. Earlier this month, Kainerugaba retaliated against Erias Lukwago, a prominent attorney. Lukwago had sought to hold Kainerugaba accountable for his alleged role in violating the rights of opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Besigye was seized in Nairobi in the third year and has since been imprisoned on treason charges he maintains are politically motivated. Lukwago was taken from his house and later charged with an offense related to the concealment of treason, demonstrating the state’s willingness to suppress legal challenges to its authority.
Kainerugaba’s associates describe him as a dedicated military officer who opposes official corruption, claiming he would punish it heavily as president. However, his actions, including the silencing of media and the arrest of legal counsel, reveal a different priority: the protection of accumulated power. He attended military schools in the U.S. and Britain before taking charge of a presidential guard unit, which has since expanded into an elite group of special forces. Beyond his military duties, he founded the Patriotic League of Uganda, a political activist group whose members include the parliamentary speaker and government ministers, further intertwining military, political, and state control.
Maintaining the Order
The systematic suppression of independent media and political opposition serves to manage the contradictions of the current economic order. By controlling the flow of information and punishing dissent, the ruling class ensures that public discourse remains within acceptable bounds, preventing deeper structural challenges to the distribution of wealth and power. The actions taken by Gen. Kainerugaba are not merely about individual ambition; they are about securing the foundations of a system that has concentrated power in the hands of a few for decades.