By BBC

Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, has announced that he has quit X, where he has been posting controversial messages.

The 50-year-old army general has become increasingly involved in the political arena, in breach of military protocols, reigniting debates about his ambitions to succeed his father, who has been in power since 1986.

He recently sparked anger with a tweet in which he threatened to behead the country’s leading opposition figure, Bobi Wine.

In his last post on Friday, Gen Kainerugaba said “time has now come to leave and concentrate” on his military duties but promised to “re-converge” with his one million followers in the future.

This is not the first time Gen Kainerugaba has deactivated his X account.

In 2022, he quit the micro-blogging platform only to return days later.

Critics have taken a swipe at the general over the statements he has made on social media, which touched on subjects considered taboo for a serving soldier.

In 2022, he made headlines for discussing an invasion of neighbouring Kenya, a comment that forced his father to step in and apologise.

Gen Kainerugaba’s recent post threatening to “cut off” the head of Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, drew widespread condemnation in the country.

Although the general apologised about the post which he described as a joke, Bobi Wine said he could not take such threats lightly.

The Ugandan government downplayed the post, with a spokesperson describing Gen Kainerugaba’s social media statements as “casual” remarks that should not be interpreted as reflecting official policy.

Gen Kainerugaba’s undiplomatic outburst on social media has also angered other countries with his previous posts about siding with Russia in the invasion of Ukraine, and saying that Uganda would be on the side of Tigray in the Ethiopian civil war.

Museveni has nevertheless defended his son as a “very good general” and the army said he enjoyed the constitutionally guaranteed individual right of expression.

In his farewell message to his X followers, the general said his decision to leave the platform was guided by his faith and a renewed focus on his military duties as a general in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).

“It is on the instructions and blessings of my Lord Jesus Christ that I leave this social media and dedicate myself to my assignment to bring peace and security to our region,” his statement stated.

“To all my dear followers, it has been a great whirlwind and rousing journey together on these streets for the last 10 years since 2014,” he added.

He urged his followers to continue supporting his father, whom he referred to as “the greatest general of the resistance”.

Gen Kainerugaba is seen as a possible successor to his long-serving father but Museveni has denied that he is grooming him for the presidency.

The general has been holding rallies, mobilising support around the country, which has drawn criticism in some quarters.

He joined the army in 1999 and has had a meteoric rise. His ascent to power has been dubbed the “Muhoozi Project” by local media.

“I know you all love me, and that you will continue to follow me like the wind long after here,” he said in his signing off statement from X.