Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said he would send Ugandan troops to defend Moscow in the event of an “imperialist” threat.
“Call me ‘Putinist’ if you want, we Uganda should send soldiers to defend Moscow if ever threatened by the imperialists,” he wrote on Twitter.
“The West is wasting its time with useless pro-Ukrainian propaganda,” added the president’s son, a staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin.
He also announced on Thursday the creation of a television and radio channel bearing his brand, “MK”.
Mr. Kainerugaba, 48, accustomed to controversial statements on Twitter, announced his candidacy for the presidency of 2026 this month.
On October 18, 2022, Yoweri Museveni said that his only son – he also has three daughters – would no longer tweet regarding the country’s affairs, following a series of controversial tweets in early October where he had notably threatened to invade Kenya.
Uganda has abstained in UN votes on the Ukraine conflict, including one in February on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which called on Moscow to withdraw its troops from the country.
In July, during a tour of Africa by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Mr Kainerugaba said, alluding to Russia: “How can we be once morest someone who has never harmed us “.
Russia has traditionally had strong ties to Africa due to its support for independence movements on the continent struggling with colonial powers.
Observers have long considered that Muhoozi Kainerugaba was tipped to take over from his 78-year-old father Yoweri Museveni.