Release My Friend MP Micheal Mawanda, He Isn’t Corrupt Like Your Ministers!! First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba Blasts Father’s Government For Arresting ‘Corrupt’ MP Mawanda

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, has once again ignited a firestorm of debate with a series of provocative posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

On Thursday evening, General Muhoozi, who is also the First Son and leader of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), claimed that Bushenyi’s Igara East MP, Michael Mawanda, is being unfairly persecuted in his ongoing corruption trial.

Mawanda was arrested on June 19 after a thorough police investigation found him culpable in a Shs7 billion corruption case related to cooperative war loss compensation.

General Muhoozi expressed his outrage and frustration, saying, “My friend, Michael Mawanda, is in prison, and they think we shall stay quiet forever, while people who have stolen from this country for decades are still ministers?”

He emphasized that Mawanda’s only crime was supporting him, General Muhoozi, in Bushenyi.Mawanda, alongside Busiki County MP Paul Akamba and former Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali, is currently facing charges related to the Shs7 billion corruption case.

All remain on remand, much to the apparent frustration of General Muhoozi, who expressed that “Mzee [his father, President Museveni] should hear our cry for change.”

General Muhoozi, who previously sparked outrage in Kenya with his controversial tweets in 2022, has positioned himself as a campaigner for civic reforms under the PLU banner, which he claims rallies the youth to promote patriotism and fight corruption.However, his recent statements appear to contradict the ethos of the PLU, as he described Mawanda—a figure whose guilt or innocence is still under judicial review—as a political prisoner.

“He was taken to prison by some politically dilapidated people in NRM for the ‘great crime’ of supporting Muhoozi Kainerugaba in Bushenyi. That’s his only crime. Supporting me. Free Mawanda!” Muhoozi declared.

General Muhoozi has positioned himself as a campaigner for civic reforms under the PLU banner, which he claims rallies the youth to promote patriotism and fight corruption. However, his recent statements appear to contradict the ethos of the PLU, as he described Mawanda—a figure whose guilt or innocence is still under judicial review—as a political prisoner.

The reactions on social media have been mixed, with some supporting General Muhoozi’s stance and others criticizing him. Nuwamanya Wakabirigi reminded General Muhoozi that the leaders he criticized were the same individuals who fought alongside his father to liberate Uganda.

“They created an environment for you to get out of refugee status and to be who you are today. Mawanda is a thief; let the courts do their jobs,” Wakabirigi tweeted.

Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura, a political activist affiliated with the FDC Katonga faction, also weighed in, stating, “Mawanda is in prison because he stole taxpayers’ money. He should stay there. What you should be doing is calling for the arrest and imprisonment of those you claim have been stealing from us for decades.”

In 2022, President Museveni intervened in a similar situation by instructing his son to refrain from making political statements on social media. At the time, Muhoozi had suggested that the UPDF could capture Kenya in a matter of weeks if it made an incursion into the East African neighboring country.

Museveni clarified that while Muhoozi could tweet about non-controversial topics like sports, he should avoid commenting on partisan issues in Uganda or other countries.

Meanwhile, General Muhoozi doubled down on his controversial posts, demanding that the United States apologize to Uganda for removing the country from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) program.