Gen Kainerugaba rejects bar time limits, says Ugandans can party until morning

• Bar hours: Kainerugaba says proprietors should decide when bars and clubs open or close.

• Nightlife: He says Ugandans can drink and dance until morning.

• Balaam directive: Barugahara had ordered alcohol outlets to open after 3pm on working days.

• Security: Kainerugaba says authorities will instead act against fighting and violence at entertainment venues.

The Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has rejected attempts to impose fixed opening and closing hours on bars and nightclubs, saying proprietors should decide when their businesses operate.

Gen Kainerugaba said Ugandans were free to drink and dance throughout the night as long as they did not engage in violence.

“Opening and closing hours for bars and clubs is up to the proprietors. What we will not tolerate is any form of fighting and violence. Otherwise, Ugandans are entitled to enjoy themselves,” Kainerugaba posted on X on Monday, August 31, 2026.

He added: “In Uganda, people can dance and drink up to morning. Also, women are allowed to dress anyway they want.”

The comments appear to contradict a recent government directive that sought to restrict the operating hours of bars and other alcohol outlets.

Earlier this month, Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara directed bars, malwa joints and other alcohol-selling businesses not to open before 3pm on working days.

Barugahara issued the directive to district chairpersons, city mayors, division mayors and council speakers. He asked local governments and security agencies to enforce the restrictions.

The minister linked early-morning drinking to idleness, family problems and crime. He argued that restricting drinking hours would encourage productivity.

The directive also warned that bars which repeatedly violated lawful operating-hour restrictions could face closure. Authorities were also asked to arrest and prosecute operators who sell alcohol to people below 18 years.

The proposed restrictions drew resistance from sections of the alcohol industry. The Uganda Alcohol Industry Association asked the government to reconsider the 3pm opening rule, warning that a blanket restriction could hurt licensed businesses while leaving illicit alcohol sellers untouched.

Some local leaders also questioned how the directive would be enforced. They cited limited enforcement capacity and the difficulty of applying the restriction to supermarkets and shops that sell alcohol alongside other products.

His position shifts the emphasis from controlling drinking hours to maintaining security at entertainment venues. He said authorities would not tolerate fights or violence but should otherwise allow Ugandans to enjoy nightlife without prescribed closing hours.