Kigali, Rwanda – Ugandan General Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s 49th birthday celebrations in Kigali have sparked controversy and drawn attention from media outlets around the world.
Despite a long history of friction and conflict, including accusations of espionage, political meddling, and support for adversarial rebel groups, Rwanda and Uganda look to be on track to bury the hatchet.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the first son of Uganda, visited Rwandan President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame this week as a sign of relations thawing. He celebrated his 49th birthday in Rwanda.
Kainerugaba, who is the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and a senior military officer in the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), was joined at the celebration by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and other high-ranking officials from both countries.
The event featured speeches, dancing, and a lavish cake-cutting ceremony. Photos and videos of the occasion were extensively shared on social media.
Some have interpreted Kainerugaba’s choice to spend his birthday in Rwanda as a sign that the two neighboring nations’ tense recent relations are beginning to mend.
“You can have peace but at the same time, you may not be friends. This time I think we have both – we are friends and we are at peace. Thanks to you General Muhoozi for your role in this and for your conviction and for being that bridge we used to cross from one side to another,” President Kagame said during the exclusive birthday dinner held on April 24.
In recent years, tensions between Uganda and Rwanda have been high, with both nations accusing the other of backing rebel forces and participating in espionage. When Rwanda closed its border with Uganda in 2019, it significantly disrupted the economy and brought the crisis to a head.
But since then, there have been indications of thawing relations, with both nations holding high-level discussions and taking action to reduce tensions. Some have interpreted Kainerugaba’s choice to spend his birthday in Rwanda as a sign of this relationship’s progress.
Invoking security fears, Rwanda had accused Uganda of aiding exiled opponents of the Kagame administration in Rwanda, including the wealthy Ugandan businessman Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa.
Rwanda was accused by Uganda of spying on its security.
The rapprochement between Presidents Kagame and Museveni, which resulted in the reopening of the border in March 2022, is credited to General Muhoozi.
Muhoozi has been tenacious in pushing for peace between the two nations, promising that Uganda will no longer serve as a shelter for Rwanda’s foes.
“General Kayumba and RNC, I don’t know what problems you had in Rwanda with the mainstream RPF/RDF. But I warn you not to dare use my country for your adventures!” Muhoozi tweeted on February 19, 2022 soon after his visit to Kigali.