Kampala, Uganda: The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has launched a blistering public attack on Uganda’s ICT and National Guidance Minister Chris Baryomunsi, declaring that the minister will “never be a Minister again” and branding him a “traitor” in a heated social media exchange that has exposed deepening fault lines within Uganda’s political establishment.
“Baryomunsi, the traitor, will never be a Minister again.” Gen Muhoozi wrote in a post on X in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, which quickly gained attraction and engagement from millions of his followers.
But Baryomunsi responded defiantly, dismissing Muhoozi’s remarks and rejecting any suggestion that his political rise was built on patronage.
“I rose from obscurity to where I am because of my abilities, not favours from anybody. I am self-made,” Baryomunsi posted. “Being a Minister is not necessarily the best thing in life. My horizon is far beyond that. Let’s serve Uganda. Cheers.”
The CDf would later escalate the attack further, saying: “It doesn’t matter. We are still sacking you. You probably need the Peter Pan Syndrome,” before issuing a stark warning: “Baryomunsi, you should be more worried about jail.”
The exchange between the two ‘big guns’ comes just days after Baryomunsi publicly distanced the government from Muhoozi’s earlier social media posts that threatened to strain relations between Uganda and the United States, insisting that the CDF’s comments represented personal views rather than official government policy.
The clarification from the minister triggered backlash from within Parliament, with Kasambya County Legislator, Hon Daudi Kabanda, accusing Baryomunsi of undermining the authority of the CDF. The two subsequently traded sharp personal attacks, with Kabanda branding Baryomunsi an opportunist and the minister responding by questioning Kabanda’s intellectual capacity.
Baryomunsi has previously disclosed that he raised concerns with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni over what he described as the damaging impact of Muhoozi’s social media activity on government communication, diplomacy and message discipline.
The public clash has reignited debate over civil–military boundaries, political authority and the growing influence of social media in shaping and destabilising Uganda’s governance and communication landscape, with critics warning that internal disputes aired online risk eroding institutional coherence.
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