Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba has previously attracted international attention for a series of controversial social media posts, including past comments about marrying Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to reporting by French newspaper Le Monde in 2022.

At the time, widely circulated remarks attributed to Kainerugaba suggested offering symbolic gifts, including 100 Ankole cows, to Italy in exchange for marriage to Meloni. Some of the statements also included references interpreted as threats toward Rome if such proposals were rejected.

The comments triggered significant public backlash, prompting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to publicly distance the government from his son’s personal statements, clarifying that they did not reflect official policy or his military role.

In the same period, Kainerugaba also made statements directed at Kenya that drew regional attention and were later followed by official clarification and a temporary removal from his position as army chief.

More recently, similar posts attributed to him have circulated online, including claims about wanting to marry a Turkish woman, again drawing widespread online reaction due to their diplomatic sensitivity and the high-profile figures involved.