President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday appointed Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as Commander of the UPDF’s Land Forces.
Gen Muhoozi replaced Gen Peter Elwelu who had served in the position since January 2017. Gen Elwelu has been appointed to deputize Lt Gen Wilson Mbadi who has been named UPDF’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
Prior to his new appointment , Gen Muhoozi has been serving as the Commander for Special Forces Command (SFC).
The First Son is also a Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations.
Who is Gen Muhoozi?
Born on April 24, 1974 in Dar Salaam Tanzania, Muhoozi is the first son of President Yoweri Museveni and Janet Museveni,the Minister of Education and Sports.
As a child, Muhoozi attended schools in Tanzania, Mount Kenya Academy in Nyeri Kenya and Sweden. After his father became President , he attended Kampala Parents School, King’s College Budo for a while and St. Mary’s College Kisubi.
He was later admitted to Egyptian Military Academy where he took both the company and battalion commanders courses. Upon his return to Uganda from Sandhurst in 2000, Muhoozi was assigned to the Presidential Protection Unit as a second lieutenant. In 2001, he was promoted to the rank of major in the army.
As a major, he became a brigade commander in the Presidential Guard Brigade.
He also attended the Kalama Armoured Warfare Training School, in Kabamba, Mubende District. In 2007 he was admitted to a one-year course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, graduating in June 2008. Following that, he successfully completed the Executive National Security Programme at the South African National Defence College.
Following his graduation from Fort Leavenworth in 2008, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed Commander of the Special Forces Group in UPDF. On 16 May 2016 he was promoted to the rank of major general by the President.
Museveni moved Muhoozi to the post of Senior Presidential Adviser for Special Operations on 10 January 2017.
The General is married to Charlotte Nankunda Kutesa and the couple has three children together.
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