Museveni promotes son to army chief
KAMPALA - Uganda's veteran leader, Yoweri Museveni, has appointed his son to head the country's defence forces, the government said, capping a dizzying rise for Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The announcement by the Defence Ministry late on Thursday followed years of speculation that Kainerugaba, whose social media outbursts have sparked diplomatic uproars, was being groomed for the top job.
Although the 49-yearold general has in the past denied claims he intends to succeed his father - one of Africa's longest-serving leaders - he has enjoyed a rapid climb through Uganda's army ranks.
In a now-deleted post on X last year, Kainerugaba said he intended to run for the presidency in the 2026 elections.
He also appeared to take a dig at his father, writing:
How many agree with me that our time has come?
Enough of the old people ruling us. Dominating us. It's time for our generation to shine. Retweet and like.
Following a row in 2022 over a post by Kainerugaba threatening to invade Kenya, Museveni, 79, had sought to rein in his wayward son by telling him to stay off social media when it comes to affairs of state.
Museveni, who apologised to Kenya over the outburst, has nevertheless defended his only son as a "very good general."
To many Ugandans, Kainerugaba's position as heir apparent has been obvious, but the government has in the past taken a harsh line against anyone discussing the matter.
In 2013, police shut down two independent newspapers and two radio stations for 10 days after they published a leaked confidential memo by a senior general alleging that Museveni was grooming Kainerugaba to succeed him.
– AFP.
JOHANNESBURG South Africa's National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Thursday that she will take special leave as a result of an investigation into alleged corruption during her time as Defence Minister.
Investigators raided Mapisa-Nqakula home on Tuesday as part of the corruption inquiry, but did not provide details on the investigation or the corruption allegations.
Mapisa-Nqakula, who was Defence Minister from 2012 to 2021, has denied wrongdoing.
"Given the seriousness of the allegations and the attendant extensive media speculation, I have decided to take special leave from my position as Speaker of the National Assembly, effective immediately," Mapisa-Nqakula said in a statement.
She said there has been no formal notification of an arrest warrant or communication regarding her imminent arrest, following local media reports that she was expected to hand herself over to police.
"My lawyers have, however, proactively informed the National Prosecution Authority of my readiness to comply and cooperate should the need arise," she said.
South Africa's stateowned broadcaster SABC reported that Mapisa-Nqakula is suspected of receiving millions of rand in cash as bribes from a former military contractor when she was Defence Minister.
This comes after the DA laid a complaint against Mapisa-Nqakula with Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests earlier this month, after she was named in an affidavit submitted to the Investigative Directorate by the owner of Umkhombe Marine, a company responsible for transporting SA National Defence Force cargo for military missions.
News24 previously reported that businesswoman Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu claimed that she paid up to R2.3 million in cash to Mapisa-Nqakula between November 2016 and July 2019 when Mapisa-Nqakula was Defence Minister.
Mapisa-Nqakula, who became the National Assembly speaker in August 2021, was investigated for allegedly receiving a bribe from a defence contractor, blowing R7 million on aircraft charters and checking into luxury hotels.
Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Defence appointed a task team in 2021 to investigate the allegations.