There was amusement in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon after Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the Kira Municipality MP demanded an explanation why Rwandan President Paul Kagame attended Land Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s birthday party.
Kagame arrived in Uganda on 24 April 2022 for the first time since the dispute that led to closure of the Uganda-Rwanda. He also held a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni on regional peace and cooperation at Sate House, Entebbe.
Ssemujju who said the Kigali administration abruptly closed the border in February 2019 after it accused Kampala of abducting its citizens and supporting rebels, demanded that Government gives an explanation to the House.
But the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among Annet overruled the legislator saying President Kagame came to the country to attend Muhoozi’s birthday as an uncle but not as the Head of State on official duty.
The Uganda – Rwanda border was reopened in March following a visit to Kigali by Lt. Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Commander of the Land Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces – UPDF in February.
Muhoozi’s 48th birthday celebration parties have been ongoing in the country since April.
In recent times, the Gen has publicly expressed interest to succeed his father, and has even done a poll on Twitter to assess his bid’s popularity, about four years to the next presidential election.
Hundreds of youthful Ugandans, lawmakers and the business community have been organizing entertainment shows, religious gatherings, and soccer competitions in the different regions of the country to celebrate his birthday, dubbed MK@48.
However, political analysts have weighed in observing that countrywide ‘birthday celebration’ is simply a ploy to popularize Gen Muhoozi’s presidency candidacy. Several of Gen Muhoozi’s official tweets @mkainerugaba, partly confirm his interest in taking over power, though it remains unclear when exactly that would happen as his father’s tenure of office will end in 2026.
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