US congress attacks on Muhoozi instigated by brother-in-law Rwabwogo – PLU official

A senior official of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) has accused Odrek Rwabwogo, President Yoweri Museveni’s son-in-law, of being behind the recent criticism directed at Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba by senior figures in the United States Congress. 

Daudi Kabanda, the MP for Kasambya County and PLU’s General Secretary claimed on Monday that Rwabwogo had been holding undisclosed meetings in the United States, which he alleged were now manifesting in what he termed coordinated attacks on the Ugandan government.

“Ugandans need to know that Rwabwogo has recently been making several trips to the US meeting undisclosed members of Congress and the US government,” Kabanda said. 

“This pattern confirms the current attacks from some members of the Senate on the Ugandan government. We are also aware that he is being supported in this treachery by Otafiire.”

The allegations come in the wake of a public exchange between Gen Muhoozi and US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch. 

Senator Risch accused the Ugandan First Son of “crossing the line” following remarks in which Muhoozi claimed that the US Embassy in Kampala had assisted opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi to escape from his home after the recent elections.

In response, Muhoozi called for a reassessment of Uganda’s security partnership with the United States

He later retracted the statements and issued an apology to the US government, signalling a desire to de-escalate tensions.

The controversy has reignited attention on the long-standing public feud between Gen Muhoozi and his brother-in-law, Odrek Rwabwogo. 

In August 2024, Muhoozi openly referred to Rwabwogo as “Uganda’s biggest thief”, citing the questionable funding of his Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID)

PACEID, which was commissioned by President Museveni in 2022, describes itself as a think tank advising the President on strategic interventions to accelerate export growth and industrial development.

However, PACEID has faced growing scrutiny over its approach, particularly its proposals to significantly alter traditional export systems. Critics have also questioned the feasibility of its ambitious target of doubling Uganda’s export value by 2028, given existing infrastructure and market constraints.

Rwabwogo responded at the time by dismissing Muhoozi’s remarks as “lies… aimed at diverting us from the important work we are doing”. Without mentioning Muhoozi directly, he said: 

“I ask that you leave us out of this shallowness because we don’t have time to abandon what matters for our country.”