KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has publicly demanded $1 billion (about KSh128.5 billion) annually from the United States, claiming the funds are owed to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, General Muhoozi asserted that the payment must be made, framing it as a long-standing entitlement.
“I still demand $ 1 billion from the USA for the UPDF annually. And they will pay it,” Muhoozi stated.
The remarks come amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Kampala and Washington, triggered by a series of controversial social media posts by the army chief that have drawn sharp rebukes from senior US lawmakers.
Return to X after pledged break
General Muhoozi, who is the son of President Yoweri Museveni, had earlier announced that he would take a break from social media following a viral online rant. However, the pause was short-lived.
He soon resurfaced on X, posting a series of messages that further intensified an already strained situation between Uganda and the United States.
Clash with US Senator Jim Risch
The latest exchange follows criticism from US Senator Jim Risch, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who warned that Gen Muhoozi had crossed what he described as a “red line”.
“The president’s son, and likely successor, cannot just delete tweets and issue hollow apologies. The U.S. will not tolerate this level of instability and recklessness when American personnel, U.S. interests, and innocent lives in the region are at stake,” Risch declared.
The senator’s comments came after Gen Muhoozi had briefly tweeted about suspending cooperation with the US embassy in Kampala, before deleting the posts and issuing an apology.
Defiant response
Reacting to Senator Risch’s warning, Muhoozi escalated the confrontation, rejecting the criticism and challenging Washington to take whatever action it deemed appropriate.
“My name is not ‘Commander @mkainerugaba ‘. My name is General Muhoozi Kainerugaba. What ‘Red line’ have I crossed according to you? You can re-evaluate whatever you want as far as our co-operation is concerned, but you will never DEMEAN and DEGRADE us. You will never make us your slaves,” he said.
Reference to King Charles III
In a separate post, Gen Muhoozi invoked the British monarch, drawing a distinction between his dispute with US lawmakers and his position on the United Kingdom.
Also Read: Gen Muhoozi tells US to ‘re-evaluate whatever you want’ as diplomatic row explodes
“I may have strong differences with a Senator in the United States, but I can never have differences with the King-Emperor His Majesty Charles III. He is my king too,” he stated.
A pattern of controversy
General Muhoozi has repeatedly drawn international attention for his outspoken and often provocative social media commentary, an unusual posture for a serving army chief and one that has frequently complicated Uganda’s diplomatic relations.
While Uganda and the United States have long cooperated on regional security, counterterrorism and peacekeeping operations, analysts warn that sustained public confrontations risk straining a partnership that has endured for decades.
Neither the Ugandan government nor the US State Department has issued a formal response to Gen Muhoozi’s latest demand for funding.
