Inside Gen Muhoozi meeting with Russian Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations and First Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba met with the Russian Ambassador to Uganda, Vladlen Semivolos in Entebbe, DailyExpress has learnt.

According to a well-informed source close to the former commander of Land Forces, the two officials “discussed the strong bilateral relations between Uganda and the Russian Federation.”

“Muhoozi and Vladen also “reviewed our country’s military-technical cooperation agreements,” acclaimed the source on condition of anonymity to this report.

The Russian-Ugandan Government-to-Government Agreement of August 21, 2014, paved the way in May 2015 for the establishment of an Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic and Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

Before 1990, Russia had supplied Uganda with T-72 and PT-76 tanks, BTR-60 APCs, and MiG-21 fighters. These were followed by T-90S tanks and Su-30MK2 fighters.

Uganda hosts a representative office of Rostec, Russia’s state corporation, that also projects Rosoboronexport’s interests in the country.

Gen Muhoozi, who is the former Commander of Uganda’s Land Forces, has been a strong supporter of Russia amid sanctions by the Western countries over the Ukraine conflict.

Africa-Russia ties 

Muhoozi recently defended Africa’s relationship with Russia, saying the natural resource-rich country helped the black continent’s struggle against colonialism.

“Russia supported us Africans when we were oppressed and enslaved by people who were calling themselves Christians in Western Europe!” said Gen Muhoozi in October 2022. 

“They helped us liberate ourselves from colonialism,” he added.

“That means that Africa has a debt with Russia, with China, with Cuba and other countries,” said Muhoozi, a former Special Forces commander. 

“As proud, honourable and great people we must pay our debts. That means we must stand with Russia now!”

Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov recently said his country had plans to make Uganda a regional hub for the development, upgrading and maintenance of Russian military equipment and technology.

Lavrov said both countries would deepen cooperation in areas of developing satellites, remote sensing and land and space infrastructure for military and civilian purposes.

Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo said Uganda would continue “not only to maintain what we already have but build capacity for changing circumstances in the region. It is because of that capacity that we are playing a significant role in regional peacekeeping missions.”