Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire’s maiden address to the 12th Parliament has triggered intense debate after the Water and Environment Minister warned that there is “a problem” when a General prefers violence as the best way of solving political or social problems.
Otafiire did not name any individual in his speech, but his remarks came at a politically sensitive moment, following the leakage of videos allegedly showing opposition activist Sam Mugumya being tortured while in military detention.
A former UPDF officer, Lt Herbert Matanda Mabonga, has claimed that the footage was recorded in a military safe house and has made broader allegations of torture, illegal detention and enforced disappearances. The location and circumstances of the footage have not been independently verified, while the UPDF had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of reporting.
Against that background, some Ugandans and supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) interpreted Otafiire’s parliamentary intervention as an indirect message to Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the PLU chairman.
Otafiire, however, did not mention Muhoozi by name. His central argument was that political disagreements are inevitable and that the test of leadership is not whether disagreements exist, but how leaders resolve them.
“I always say, Mr Speaker, that when you see two people living together and they don’t disagree for a month, it means one of them is a fool,” Otafiire told Parliament.
He immediately qualified the statement, saying: “Disagreement is not the problem, but how to resolve the contradiction is the problem.”
He then moved to the issue that has generated the most discussion. “The hallmark of civilization is how people resolve contradiction without violence. When you see a General who prefers violence as the best means of solving problems, then there is a problem,” Otafiire said.
He added: “The greatest Generals I know of are those who resolve problems without shooting a bullet.”
The remarks were delivered as part of a broader appeal for political tolerance, rather than as an explicit accusation against a named military officer. Otafiire argued that governments and political leaders should use information and intelligence to anticipate problems, prevent confrontation and seek diplomatic solutions before resorting to force.
‘Uganda belongs to all of us’
Otafiire began his intervention by reminding legislators that political differences should not obscure the shared national interest.
“Whatever the shade of our political persuasion, we have one country and we must serve that country,” he said.
He called for democratic tolerance and issue-based politics, arguing that political competition should not degenerate into insults, violence or divisive rhetoric. “We are in one dispensation, and we must learn to tolerate each other,” he said.
He also challenged the ruling side to recognise the role of the opposition in a democracy. “NRM, you are winners,” Otafiire said, before arguing that those who win should be “magnanimous in victory”, while those who lose should respect the winners but retain their right to be heard.
He described the opposition as a “mirror of reflection” for the ruling National Resistance Movement.
“You never see how beautiful your face is or how ugly your face is until you look into the mirror. And colleagues on the NRM side, this opposition is our mirror of reflection,” he said.
The speech has therefore been read on two levels: as a general lecture on democratic tolerance and, by some commentators, as a pointed intervention in Uganda’s increasingly militarised political discourse.
Social media reads between the lines
On social media, Ronald Muhinda welcomed the speech, arguing that Otafiire’s remarks carried weight despite the minister’s controversial political history.
“WORD! Gen. Otafiire may have his issues, but you can’t question his wisdom, now on the Hansard,” Muhinda wrote.
He interpreted the remarks in the context of the alleged use of force in political disputes, writing that good generals should engage and maintain communication channels with adversaries rather than resolve political disagreements through force.
Frank Mwesigye a PLU diehard, took a different approach, attacking Otafiire over allegations concerning land.
His post on X listed several land controversies in which Otafiire has previously been mentioned, including the Njeru Government Stock Farm, Nyenda Island, a Munyonyo land dispute, Upper Kololo land and the CID headquarters land in Kibuli.
Previous reporting has, however, documented controversy surrounding Otafiire and the Njeru Government Stock Farm, while the minister has been a long-standing and sometimes controversial figure within the NRM establishment.
The social-media reaction therefore showed a divided response: some users focused on the substance of Otafiire’s message about violence and political tolerance, while others questioned his own record and authority to lecture other leaders.
PLU interpretation
For some people associated with or supportive of PLU, the speech was particularly significant because of Otafiire’s history of disagreements with Gen Muhoozi.
The two Generals have previously exchanged sharp public remarks. In February 2026, for example, Muhoozi publicly threatened to have Otafiire arrested, prompting Otafiire to respond on X with “LOL.” The exchange followed disagreements over political succession and Otafiire’s public position on Muhoozi’s political ambitions.
Otafiire has previously said that Muhoozi has a constitutional right to contest for president, while making clear that he did not support him against President Yoweri Museveni.
That history explains why some commentators immediately connected his latest parliamentary remarks to Muhoozi, particularly because the CDF has emerged as a major political figure through his leadership of PLU.
But the connection remains an interpretation. Otafiire did not identify Muhoozi as the general he was referring to.
Torture allegations add to the context
The timing of the remarks has nevertheless given them greater political significance. The leaked videos involving Mugumya have intensified public discussion about alleged torture and the conduct of security agencies. Lt Mabonga’s claims have added another layer to the controversy, although the allegations require independent investigation and verification.
Otafiire’s remarks also build on his earlier public calls for government to listen to citizens and avoid suppressing legitimate grievances. In September 2025, while still Internal Affairs minister, he warned government against suppressing the governed and said authorities should subject citizens to the law while also understanding their pain.
His latest parliamentary speech therefore places emphasis on a principle he has articulated before: that state authority must be exercised within a framework of law, tolerance and political engagement.
For the ruling establishment, the most striking part of the speech may ultimately be Otafiire’s reminder that political disagreement is not itself a threat to the country.
The threat, in his formulation, emerges when disagreement is answered with violence. “The greatest Generals I know of are those who resolve problems without shooting a bullet,” he told Parliament.
Whether the statement was intended as a general lesson to Uganda’s political class or as an indirect message to particular generals is a question Otafiire himself did not answer.
What is clear is that his words have entered a debate already sharpened by allegations of torture, military involvement in political affairs and the growing prominence of serving and retired generals in Uganda’s political life.
For now, the Hansard records a General warning rather than a named accusation: disagreement is inevitable; violence is not the only way to resolve it; and, in Otafiire’s view, the mark of a great General is the ability to settle a conflict without firing a bullet.
Author Profile
- Charles Gazza Kodili is a seasoned journalist with over 20 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication. He’s currently the Chief Editor at the Investigator.
Charles can also be reached via; Tel: +256 774 108978
Email: [email protected]
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