Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has given Water and Environment Minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire one week to apologise over remarks the veteran bush-war commander made in Parliament, escalating a public confrontation between two senior figures in Uganda’s security and political establishment.
Muhoozi, who is also chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), issued the ultimatum on X after Otafiire used his maiden address to the 12th Parliament to call for political tolerance and warn against the use of violence to resolve disagreements.
“I hear my junior MG. Otafiire made some statements in parliament against me. I’m giving him exactly 1 week to apologise to me or else he will see,” Muhoozi wrote.
The response has immediately reopened questions about the relationship between the two generals and the growing involvement of military figures in Uganda’s political discourse.
Otafiire, who was one of the original commanders of the National Resistance Army (NRA) during the 1981-86 bush war, did not mention Muhoozi by name during his speech. Instead, he spoke broadly about political disagreements, the responsibilities of the ruling National Resistance Movement and the dangers of resolving political disputes through force.
His comments, however, came at a politically sensitive time, following the circulation of videos purportedly showing opposition activist Sam Mugumya in a weakened condition in an alleged military detention facility.
The timing prompted some Ugandans and PLU supporters to interpret Otafiire’s comments as an indirect criticism of Muhoozi, who as CDF heads the UPDF and as PLU chairman has become increasingly prominent in Uganda’s political arena. But Otafiire did not identify the General to whom he was referring.
Otafiire’s warning
Otafiire made the remarks on September 30 while presenting a statement on the performance of the Water and Environment sector for the financial year 2025/26.
After addressing his ministerial brief, the veteran politician used several minutes to speak about political tolerance. “Whatever shade of our political persuasion we have, we have one country and we must serve that country,” Otafiire told MPs.
He said disagreement was a natural part of human relations and should not automatically be treated as a crisis.
“I always say that when you see two people living together, and they don’t disagree for a month, it means one of them is a fool,” he said.
He immediately explained his point: “Disagreement is not a problem, but how to resolve the contradiction is the problem.” It was his next statement, however, that attracted the greatest attention.
“The whole mark of civilisation 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.”
Otafiire argued that governments should rely on information and intelligence to anticipate problems, prevent confrontation and remove the causes of conflict before they escalate. His message was also directed at the political class more broadly.
“We are in one dispensation, and we must learn to tolerate each other,” he said. He told members of the ruling NRM that victory should come with responsibility and restraint.
“NRM, you are winners,” Otafiire said, 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 further described the opposition as a “mirror of reflection” for the ruling party.
“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.
Muhoozi reacts
Muhoozi’s response transformed what had been a general parliamentary warning into a direct public confrontation.
His demand that Otafiire apologise within one week echoes an earlier episode involving State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere.
On September 16, Muhoozi gave Nameere seven days to apologise to him over remarks attributed to her in a video. She later issued a public apology while maintaining that the material had been edited and that she had not intended to attack him.
The latest ultimatum therefore comes against the background of a series of public disputes involving the CDF and political figures within or associated with the ruling establishment.
Unlike the Nameere controversy, however, Otafiire is a retired senior military officer and one of the prominent figures of the National Resistance Movement’s armed struggle.
The use of the phrase “my junior MG” by Muhoozi has also attracted attention because Otafiire is a veteran of the NRA bush war, while Muhoozi is currently the serving CDF.
Muhoozi has not publicly explained which specific part of Otafiire’s parliamentary address he considered to be directed against him.
Torture allegations deepen controversy
The confrontation comes as Parliament and the public debate allegations surrounding missing opposition figures and alleged torture in security detention.
On September 30, former UPDF lieutenant Herbert Matanda Mabonga released a video in which he presented allegations of arbitrary arrests, disappearances, kidnappings and torture and released footage he claimed was recorded at a military safe house.
The footage appeared to show a man believed to be Mugumya struggling to walk, as well as former Butambala MP Muwanga Kivumbi in another clip. The circumstances, date and location of the footage have not been independently verified.
The allegations have since been strongly rejected by the UPDF. On October 2, the army described Mabonga as a deserter and dismissed his allegations as fabricated, saying he had been absent without leave before being declared a deserter. The UPDF also said it would subject him to military justice over alleged offences. The controversy has nevertheless reached Parliament.
Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi asked the government to account for Mugumya and other people reported missing or detained without being produced in court. Parliament subsequently directed the government to return with information within two weeks.
It is against this backdrop that Otafiire’s comments about generals, violence and political disagreements acquired wider significance.
Mixed reactions
Muhoozi’s statement immediately divided opinion on social media. Some PLU supporters welcomed the CDF’s response and treated it as a long-awaited confrontation with Otafiire.
Daudi Kabanda, the PLU executive secretary, responded to the dispute with a mocking post: “We shall take him to the zoo and he stays with his relatives.”
Other Muhoozi supporters, however, questioned why the CDF had reacted to a speech in which his name was not mentioned.
One social-media user, Gonzalez Prince, wrote: “He didn’t mention your name… maybe you didn’t hear him well.”
Another user, Richard Byemalo Nyombi, similarly observed that Otafiire “made some statements in Parliament but didn’t mention your name”. Others adopted a conciliatory position.
Lawrence Okrut urged Muhoozi to forgive Otafiire, arguing that maintaining PLU unity was more important than the dispute.
“Just forgive him. The support we have is more important right now. PLU forever,” he wrote.
George wrote that “The Otafiire I know will not apologise and you won’t do anything to him,” while Deogratius described the minister as unlikely to bow to pressure.
A clash over political methods
The latest confrontation is significant because both men come from Uganda’s military and political establishment but occupy different positions in the country’s current power structure.
Otafiire is a retired General and senior NRM politician who has served in several ministerial positions. Muhoozi is a serving General and the country’s CDF, while simultaneously serving as chairman of PLU. Their disagreement has therefore attracted attention beyond a personal exchange.
At its centre is a debate over how political disagreements should be handled and the role of force in resolving them.
Otafiire’s parliamentary message was that disagreement itself is normal and that the measure of political maturity is how disagreements are resolved.
His statement that “the greatest Generals” solve problems without firing bullets has consequently become the most quoted part of his address.
Muhoozi’s response, meanwhile, indicates that he interpreted the speech as sufficiently personal to warrant a demand for an apology.
The dispute now leaves Otafiire with a one-week deadline, although it remains unclear whether he will apologise, clarify his remarks or maintain that his comments were general and were not directed at the CDF.
For many Ugandans following the confrontation, the central question is no longer simply what Otafiire meant.
It is whether the two Generals can resolve their disagreement in the manner Otafiire advocated in Parliament — without violence and through dialogue — or whether the dispute will become another public test of relations between Uganda’s military establishment and its increasingly active political actors.
For now, Otafiire’s warning remains on the parliamentary record, while Muhoozi’s ultimatum has moved the dispute from an implied political message to an explicit public challenge.
And with the one-week clock now running, attention is turning to whether the veteran bush-war commander will respond to the CDF’s demand.
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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