You’re an Opportunist”: PLU Fires Back at Minister Baryomunsi Over Remarks on Muhoozi

The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) pressure group has sharply criticized the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, following his public remarks distancing government from controversial social media posts by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

PLU, which is headed by Gen. Muhoozi, accused the minister of political opportunism after he described the military chief’s social media activity as casual and not reflective of official government positions.

Gen. Muhoozi’s posts on X (formerly Twitter)—often brief and sometimes deleted—have in recent months stirred controversy within Uganda’s opposition and triggered diplomatic tensions between Kampala and Western partners, particularly the United States.

Baryomunsi: Muhoozi Does Not Speak for Government

Appearing on Capital FM’s weekly political show, The Capital Gang, on Saturday, Dr. Baryomunsi said the CDF does not speak for the government.

“The CDF does not speak for the government of Uganda. He tweets, I don’t read them, then shortly he deletes them, and I am sure Ugandans have formed an opinion about his tweets,” Baryomunsi said.

He described the tweets as casual comments that should not be treated as official government communication.

“Like when he said, ‘I am going to hang Dr. Besigye by June 6.’ Did he hang him? Many right-thinking Ugandans know that he likes tweeting. At times he tweets and then deletes. As government spokesperson, I treat them as casual comments,” he added.

Baryomunsi further revealed that he had raised concerns about the tweets with the appointing authority, including President Yoweri Museveni, saying they complicate his work as government spokesperson.

PLU Hits Back

In response, PLU Secretary General David Kabanda issued a scathing rebuttal, accusing Baryomunsi of seeking political survival within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

“With due respect to you Hon. Dr. @CHRISBARYOMUNS1, a known opportunist who came to government for political survival, you have no moral authority to despise General @mkainerugaba,” Kabanda wrote on X.

Kabanda went on to accuse the minister of belonging to a clique within the NRM that thrives on political blackmail and claimed that hostility toward Gen. Muhoozi stems from fears that he would not tolerate such conduct.

“One major reason why people like Baryomunsi and his likes hate Gen. @mkainerugaba is because they are aware that unlike Mzee Museveni who tolerates their blackmail, Gen. MK can’t and will never tolerate them,” Kabanda added.

Diplomatic Fallout With Washington

Gen. Muhoozi’s recent social media posts also provoked diplomatic outrage in Washington, after he accused the U.S. Embassy in Kampala of undermining security cooperation and alleged—without evidence—that an opposition presidential candidate had staged his disappearance after the elections in coordination with the embassy.

The CDF later deleted the posts and issued an apology, saying he had been misled by incorrect information. However, the apology was rejected by senior U.S. officials.

U.S. Senator Jim Risch, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the remarks crossed a red line and called for a reassessment of U.S.–Uganda security relations.

“Commander @mkainerugaba has crossed a red line and now the U.S. must reevaluate its security partnership, which includes sanctions and military cooperation with Uganda,” Risch wrote on X.

He added that deleting tweets and issuing apologies was insufficient, warning that Washington would not tolerate instability that threatens U.S. interests and personnel in the region.