The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has launched a scathing attack on the Minister of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, branding him a "traitor" and declaring that he will never again serve as a minister.
In a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Muhoozi accused Baryomunsi of betrayal and openly threatened him following remarks the minister made about the CDF's online conduct.
"Baryomunsi, the traitor, will never be a Minister again," Muhoozi wrote.
In another post, he added, "If he ever utters my name again anywhere, I will arrest him on the spot."
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The remarks have sparked intense political and public debate, raising questions about civil-military relations, freedom of expression and the growing influence of social media in Uganda's political discourse.
Muhoozi's posts followed comments made by Baryomunsi over the weekend on Capital FM's political talk show Capital Gang, where the minister criticised the CDF's social media presence as disruptive and counterproductive to the government's communication efforts.
According to Baryomunsi, Muhoozi's frequent and often controversial tweets have created confusion within government circles and complicated the task of maintaining a coherent public message.
"Admittedly, his tweets make my work a little bit difficult because they cause all kinds of contradictions," Baryomunsi said.
He further revealed that he had raised the matter with President Yoweri Museveni, emphasising that the CDF's online statements should not be interpreted as official government policy.
"The CDF does not speak for the government of Uganda. But he likes communicating through Twitter. Sometimes he tweets and then he deletes them and I am sure that Ugandans have formed an opinion on his tweets. But I don't think that other than for purposes of politicking, they take them as the official position of the government of Uganda," Baryomunsi said.
Following Muhoozi's attack, Baryomunsi also took to social media, striking a defiant tone and portraying himself as resilient in the face of criticism.
"My father trained me to believe in myself. He restrained me from taking alcohol. I am sober 24/7 and focused. He let me free and I don't suffer from Peter Pan Syndrome. Those attacking me on Twitter/X don't know the material we, the original Bakiga, are made of. Go slow," Baryomunsi wrote.
He added, "I rose from obscurity to where I am because of my abilities, not favours from anybody. I am self-made. Being a Minister is not necessarily the best thing in life. My horizon is far beyond that. Let's serve Uganda. Cheers."
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Muhoozi responded dismissively, insisting that Baryomunsi's ministerial future was already sealed.
"It doesn't matter. You will not be Minister this time. First come and make peace with me," he wrote.
The exchange has revived broader concerns about Muhoozi's past use of social media, which has repeatedly landed him in controversy.
In a series of posts that were later deleted, the CDF previously issued threats against former National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
In one post, Muhoozi claimed that security forces had killed members of the opposition and expressed a desire for Kyagulanyi to be next.
"We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week. I am praying the third is Kabobi," he wrote.
Other posts included graphic threats, including suggestions that Bobi Wine's testicles be removed and warnings that he would be treated as an outlaw if he did not surrender to security forces within 48 hours.
Last year, Muhoozi also drew condemnation after threatening to behead Bobi Wine, whom he described as a "rebel leader."
Addressing questions about the impact of such statements, Baryomunsi argued that Ugandans should learn to ignore them rather than panic or treat them as serious policy pronouncements.
He cited previous controversial tweets that never materialised, including one in which Muhoozi claimed he would hang opposition figure Col (Rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye before June 6, 2025.
"Like when he said he was going to hang Col Dr Kizza Besigye before June 6, 2025... did he hang him? Did Ugandans actually believe that Besigye was lined up for hanging?" Baryomunsi asked.
