Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has signalled his intention to leave the military’s top command, but wants to secure a Shs 2 million monthly basic salary for ordinary soldiers before handing over office.
In an announcement that raises questions about the future leadership of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Muhoozi said his time as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) was approaching its end, adding that he would hand over command to another qualified officer in the coming months.
Muhoozi made the revelation in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, November 6, saying he had completed what he described as the tasks God had assigned him.
“My time as CDF is coming to an end. I have accomplished all the tasks my God gave me. In a few months I will handover this office to a qualified officer. I shall dedicate my life to Christ after that,” he wrote.
His announcement suggests a possible change at the top of the military less than three years after he was appointed to the influential position by his father, President Museveni.
However, Muhoozi did not name the officer expected to succeed him or give a definite date for the handover.
He also appeared to leave the timing of his departure open, saying he would remain around for at least another year.
“Don’t worry I’m still around. At least for another year,” he added.
The CDF used the announcement to defend his leadership style, arguing that the country’s top military office requires a firm commander rather than a diplomat.
“The office of CDF requires the bravest lion in UPDF. Not a lamb. Not a diplomat. That is what I have tried to be in my time,” he said.
Soldiers’ pay becomes parting demand
Beyond his planned departure, Muhoozi has placed soldiers’ welfare at the centre of his latest message, proposing a significant increase in the basic salary of UPDF privates to Shs 2 million a month.
He said improving accommodation for soldiers remained a challenge but insisted that better remuneration should be addressed before he leaves office.
“My heroes have always been UPDF soldiers. We are struggling to improve their accommodation. But now as I prepare to leave the military, every UPDF private must be paid Shs 2 million as his basic salary. This must start in the next financial year,” he wrote.
The proposal comes at a time when the remuneration of lower-ranking soldiers has been a subject of discussion between Parliament and the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.
In April 2026, Parliament reported that the ministry and legislators had agreed on a proposed increase in the basic salary of privates from Shs 650,000 to Shs 816,280. However, the proposed adjustment was affected by budgetary constraints, with defence officials telling MPs that government could not afford the increase in the 2026/2027 financial year.
Legislators had also pushed for a gradual enhancement towards a Shs 1 million monthly salary for privates.
Muhoozi’s Shs 2 million proposal would therefore go beyond the target previously discussed by Parliament, but he did not indicate how the government would finance the proposed increase or whether the Ministry of Finance had committed resources towards it.
Two years at the helm
President Museveni appointed Muhoozi CDF on March 21, 2024, replacing Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, who was moved to the Ministry of Trade as State Minister.
Muhoozi formally assumed office on March 28, 2024, during a handover ceremony at the UPDF Fourth Division headquarters in Gulu, presided over by Gen Caleb Akandwanaho, commonly known as Salim Saleh.
He became the 13th officer to occupy the position.
Before his elevation, Muhoozi had commanded the UPDF Land Forces and the Special Forces Command (SFC), an elite military formation responsible for specialised security operations. He had also served as Senior Presidential Adviser in charge of Special Operations.
His military career included training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and other military institutions.
When he assumed command, Muhoozi pledged to fight corruption and the mismanagement of military resources, improve soldiers’ welfare and strengthen the professionalism of the armed forces.
He also inherited responsibility for several ongoing military operations, including Operation Shujaa, the joint Uganda-DR Congo campaign against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern DR Congo, as well as security operations against cattle rustling in Karamoja.
Operation Shujaa, however, had been launched in November 2021, before he became CDF.
The record and questions over succession
Muhoozi’s tenure has been marked by his continued emphasis on military modernisation, soldiers’ welfare and regional security cooperation.
The UPDF has maintained its regional security engagements, including operations in eastern DR Congo and its wider defence cooperation with neighbouring countries.
His earlier command of the Land Forces and Special Forces Command also gave him experience in military operations before assuming responsibility for the entire army.
However, a comprehensive assessment of his tenure will depend on independently verifiable progress in the areas he promised to address, particularly corruption, resource management, soldiers’ welfare, accommodation and military professionalism.
His rise through the military ranks has also remained a subject of public debate because he is President Museveni’s son. His appointment as CDF renewed questions about the intersection of family ties, political power and military leadership in Uganda.
The latest announcement now shifts attention to the succession question, with Muhoozi saying he intends to hand over to a qualified officer without identifying who that person might be.
For an institution whose leadership plays a central role in national security, the proposed transition will be closely watched, particularly regarding whether his successor will maintain the priorities he has outlined or introduce a different direction.
For now, Muhoozi has put two issues on the table as he contemplates his next chapter: a new commander for the UPDF and a proposed Shs 2 million basic monthly salary for ordinary soldiers.
