Museveni praises Kagame-Muhoozi friendship

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has paid a glowing tribute to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame and praised the friendship between the Rwandan leader and Museveni’s son Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Museveni made the comments earlier Monday hours after the two leaders held bilateral talks and attended Muhoozi’s birthday bash at State House Entebbe on Sunday, April 24. “I would like to thank H.E Paul Kagame, we are happy that you responded to Lt Gen Muhoozi’s invitation and came,” Museveni tweeted earlier today. Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who turned 48 yesterday, is Commander Land Forces of Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations. “President Kagame and Muhoozi have a long history together. They are old friends,” Museveni added. I would like to thank H.E Paul Kagame, we are happy that you responded to Lt Gen Muhoozi’s invitation and came. President Kagame and Muhoozi have a long history together. They are old friends. pic.twitter.com/Kuz6zDnfjR — Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) April 25, 2022 Kagame, who fled to Uganda with his parents during the early waves of the pogroms that rocked Rwanda as early as 1959, was a senior officer in the Ugandan army before returning to lead the liberation struggle which saw his Rwanda Patriotic Army forces defeat the genocidal regime in 1994. Muhoozi, who has recently been vocal about the need for Rwanda and Uganda to move past their differences, has openly expressed his admiration for President Kagame whom he has described as “a great military commander” and “a great hero”. “I have limitless respect for this man. There was never any doubt about his military genius even in 1994, but the economic transformation of Rwanda is also proving that he is a genius of economics. I am very happy Ugandan-Rwandan social and economic links have been re-established,” Muhoozi tweeted on March 30, days after his latest visit to Rwanda. I have limitless respect for this man. There was never any doubt about his military genius even in 1994, but the economic transformation of Rwanda is also proving that he is a genius of economics.I am very happy Ugandan-Rwandan social and economic links have been re-established. pic.twitter.com/kc7IiHNy0M — Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) March 30, 2022 Earlier, on February 23, Muhoozi also used the microblogging platform to name Kagame among “My four Greatest Heroes” alongside his father, Museveni, his uncle, Salim Saleh, and fallen Rwandan hero Fred Gisa Rwigema. “These 4 Heroes inspire me every day!!!” He also described Kagame as “a great man” in another of his tweets, on March 8. “Afande Paul Kagame in 1994 after Kigali fell. Soon after that I was visiting him in his house and we were discussing the genocide against the Tutsi that had just taken place in Rwanda. He is a great man!” he said, accompanying the tweet with a photo of Kagame in the immediate aftermath of the Genocide, which claimed over a million lives. My four Greatest Heroes in one tweet! Mzee Museveni, President Kagame, Generals Saleh and Rwigyema!! These 4 Heroes inspire me every day!!! pic.twitter.com/9Fjc7IURPK — Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) February 23, 2022 ‘Kagame, Salim Saleh rescued us’ Meanwhile, Museveni recalled one particular incident in the early 1980s in which his family was rescued by Kagame and Museveni’s younger brother Salim Saleh. “He (Muhoozi) was the earliest Kadogo of the Resistance... He is also an early veteran at 5 years when we were arrested in Kireka by our UPC (Uganda People’s Congress) allies, they were planning to send us to God but our force with Kagame and Saleh rescued us,” the Ugandan president said on Twitter. He was the earliest Kadogo of the Resistance (only second to Julius Kategaya who took another path). He is also an early veteran at 5 years when we were arrested in Kireka by our UPC allies, they were planning to send us to God but our force with Kagame and Saleh rescued us. pic.twitter.com/rFy4rXbnjo — Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) April 25, 2022 He did not elaborate, only adding, “I do not know what impact that scenario had on him, because he was a prisoner of war.” Gen Muhoozi has played an instrumental role in helping Rwanda and Uganda resolve their latest standoff and twice paid highly-publicised visits to Rwanda this year to hold talks with President Kagame. During his second visit mid-March, Muhozi received a 10-cow gift from Kagame whom he’s referred to as “my uncle”. Gen Muhoozi has used social media platforms to warn foreign-based Rwandan elements he says were “poisoning” relations between the two neighbours, vowing to dismantle their networks and deny them a base in Uganda. He also promised to crack down on Ugandan collaborators of the anti-Rwanda negative groups and insisted that the Ugandan army will never attack Rwanda as long as he’s in charge. “The first day I reconnected with my uncle (read President Kagame) 3 months ago, I promised him a number of things. First of all, as Commander Land Forces, UPDF, my army would never attack Rwanda. Secondly, no security official of Uganda who fights Rwanda would retain his job,” he tweeted on April 21. The first day I reconnected with my uncle 3 months ago, I promised him a number of things. First of all, as Commander Land Forces, UPDF, my army would never attack Rwanda. Secondly, no security official of Uganda who fights Rwanda would retain his job. More to follow... pic.twitter.com/r1oDESpYOj — Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) April 21, 2022 Earlier, on April 2, he had tweeted, “Fighting my uncle was a huge mistake in the past. I know all those who fought him in the past but every time I ask them what was the reason they give me very silly reasons.” Relations between the two countries reached their lowest ebb in decades about four years ago after it emerged that Uganda was backing anti-Kigali armed groups and its security organs were involved in arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions of Rwandan nationals. But the two sides have since made progress toward mending ties with Muhoozi emerging as a key player in this effort.

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Museveni praises Kagame-Muhoozi friendship