Senior Ugandan Official Accuses President’s Son-in-Law of Instigating U.S. Congress Criticism
A senior figure in Uganda’s Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) has publicly accused Odrek Rwabwogo, a son-in-law of President Yoweri Museveni, of being the architect behind recent criticism of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba by senior United States Congress officials.
The allegation was made on Monday by Daudi Kabanda, the MP for Kasambya County and General Secretary of the PLU, a political group associated with Gen. Muhoozi. Kabanda claimed that Rwabwogo has been conducting undisclosed meetings in the United States, which he directly linked to what he called “coordinated attacks” on the Ugandan government emerging from the U.S. Senate.
“Ugandans need to know that Rwabwogo has recently been making several trips to the US meeting undisclosed members of Congress and the US government,” Kabanda stated. “This pattern confirms the current attacks from some members of the Senate on the Ugandan government.”
The accusation brings a dramatic internal dimension to a recent public diplomatic spat. The controversy began when U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch accused Gen. Muhoozi, the First Son and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, of “crossing the line.” This followed Muhoozi’s claim that the U.S. Embassy in Kampala assisted opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi to escape after recent elections.
Muhoozi initially responded defiantly, calling for a reassessment of Uganda’s security partnership with the U.S., but later retracted his statements and issued an apology to de-escalate tensions.
Kabanda’s remarks have thrust into the spotlight the long-standing and public rivalry between Gen. Muhoozi and his brother-in-law, Rwabwogo. The feud erupted openly in August 2024 when Muhoozi labelled Rwabwogo “Uganda’s biggest thief,” questioning the funding of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), which Rwabwogo chairs.
PACEID, established by President Museveni in 2022, aims to advise on boosting exports and industrial growth but has faced scrutiny over its methods and ambitious targets. Rwabwogo dismissed the 2024 accusation as “lies” intended to distract from his committee’s work.
Kabanda further alleged that Rwabwogo is being supported in this “treachery” by another senior government figure, Minister Kahinda Otafiire.
The PLU official’s claims suggest that internal family and political tensions within Uganda’s leadership are now being perceived as influencing international diplomatic engagements, raising questions about the interplay of domestic rivalries and foreign policy.
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