Gen. David Muhoozi recalled to UPDF for redeployment

Former State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi, has been recalled to active military service by the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) leadership, paving the way for his redeployment within the armed forces following his omission from the recently announced Cabinet reshuffle.

The development comes just days after President Yoweri Museveni dropped Gen. Muhoozi from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where he had served as State Minister since June 2021 after leaving his position as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). Reports indicate that the four-star General has now been directed to report back to the military establishment as the UPDF prepares to assign him a new role.

However, neither the Ministry of Defence nor the UPDF has officially disclosed the position to which the veteran officer will be deployed.

Gen. Muhoozi remains one of Uganda’s most experienced military commanders, having served in the army for more than four decades. He rose through the ranks after joining the National Resistance Army in the mid-1980s and went on to occupy several strategic command positions, including Commander of the Armoured Brigade, Commander of the Motorised Infantry Brigade, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Commander of Air Defence.

In 2017, President Museveni appointed him Chief of Defence Forces, a position he held until June 2021 when he handed over command to Gen. Wilson Mbadi and transitioned into Cabinet as State Minister for Internal Affairs. During his tenure as CDF, the UPDF expanded its regional security engagements, strengthened professional military training and modernisation programmes, and maintained Uganda’s participation in peace and security operations across the region.

At the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Gen. Muhoozi played a key role in overseeing sectors under the ministry’s mandate, including immigration, citizenship, national identification, prisons, and internal security coordination.

His military background was widely seen as an asset in strengthening coordination between civilian and security institutions.

His departure from Cabinet last week sparked widespread speculation regarding his future, with political and security observers questioning whether he would retire from public service or return to the military where he built much of his career.

The recall now appears to have answered part of that question, although uncertainty remains over the exact assignment awaiting the former army commander.

Military analysts say Gen. Muhoozi’s vast experience in command, strategic planning and national security makes him one of the few senior officers capable of taking on high-level assignments within the defence and security establishment.

For now, attention remains focused on the next move for the former Chief of Defence Forces, whose return to the UPDF signals that his public service career is far from over.

Read Next Article