Tame your son or your legacy will go up in smoke, Kuria warns Museveni

Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has issued an unusually blunt caution to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, urging him to address public concerns surrounding the remarks made by his son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whose comments about Kenya have repeatedly stirred diplomatic discomfort in the region.

In a post on X, Kuria, known for his fiery commentary, said he holds deep admiration for Museveni’s long-standing leadership and economic philosophy, but warned that the Ugandan leader’s legacy could be affected if the situation remains unaddressed.

“I am an ardent admirer of President Yoweri Museveni. We have near identical views on how African economies can only develop by focusing on production and export-led growth,” Kuria wrote.

“In 2023, I visited Ssebo as a Special Envoy on regional integration, and we ended up having a lively four-hour discourse that should have been of interest to PhD students of Political Economy. However, if he does not manage the situation involving his son Muhoozi, his legacy will go up in smoke.”

Kuria said the timing of Muhoozi’s heightened public statements is particularly sensitive, pointing to rising geopolitical tensions in the Horn of Africa.

“At a time when the region is staring at war between Ethiopia and Eritrea over access to the sea, it is not the time to issue remarks about Kenya over the same,” he said.

“We enjoy excellent relations as neighbours, brothers and sisters. But do not take some jokes too far.”

His remarks come in the wake of renewed debate triggered by Museveni’s recent comments about Uganda’s long-term interest in securing access to the Indian Ocean through regional integration.

Though Museveni framed the issue in the broader context of economic strategy, the discussion has been overshadowed by his son Muhoozi’s forthright posts on X.

Muhoozi, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, has in recent months shared a series of controversial online statements about Kenya, including comments touching on military capability and speculation about strategic access to the coast.

Following Museveni’s comments about Indian Ocean access, Muhoozi said he was ready to pursue forceful measures against Kenya in the bid to secure a route to the Indian Ocean through the country.

He said Kenya should “quickly give us access to the Indian Ocean,” adding that failure to honour this claim could lead to “very big problems in the future.”

Uganda, he stressed, has been “locked out for too long” and that the issue of ocean access is not just about trade, it’s about national entitlement and sovereignty.

His posts have drawn sharp criticism from Kenyans and sparked questions about Kampala’s diplomatic posture.

Kuria suggested that while cordial relations between Kenya and Uganda remain intact, Muhoozi’s public approach risks escalating misunderstandings at a time when regional stability is already fragile.

Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 and is widely viewed as a key stabilising force in East Africa, has in the past downplayed his son’s online controversies as banter.

But Kuria’s intervention marks one of the strongest public statements by a senior Kenyan official, reflecting growing frustration over the recurring exchanges.

Despite the tensions, both countries continue to emphasise the importance of cooperation in trade, security, and regional infrastructure.

Uganda remains one of Kenya’s largest trading partners, and the two states collaborate closely within the East African Community.

With talk of succession politics in Uganda gaining momentum and Muhoozi positioning himself as a prominent national figure, his rhetoric is attracting increasing scrutiny beyond Uganda’s borders.