President Museveni to Meet US Ambassador Amid Diplomatic Tensions
President Yoweri Museveni is set to meet with US Ambassador William Popp to address recent diplomatic tensions raised by a senior Ugandan government official.
The meeting, scheduled for Thursday at State House in Entebbe, will include key figures such as the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, General Jeje Odongo, among others. This meeting follows an ultimatum issued last Friday by Gen Muhoozi, who demanded that Ambassador Popp “personally apologise” to President Museveni and the Ugandan people or face expulsion from the country.
Without providing specific details, Gen Muhoozi, who is also President Museveni’s son, accused Ambassador Popp of showing disrespect toward his father and the Ugandan people through “undiplomatic conduct.”
Although the posts on X (formerly Twitter) where these demands were made were deleted hours later, tensions remained. Gen Muhoozi had set a three-day deadline for Ambassador Popp, expiring at 9 a.m. on Monday.
The US Mission in Uganda has not made any formal comment on the matter except to deny claims circulating that Ambassador Popp had complied with the demand to apologise. “This narrative is completely false,” the US Embassy stated, adding that neither the Embassy nor Ambassador Popp had received any formal request for an apology from the Ugandan government.
Previously, Gen Muhoozi stirred controversy in Kenya when he suggested that the Ugandan military, under his command, could take over Kenya within two weeks. This statement caused diplomatic unrest, leading President Museveni to publicly reprimand his son for his social media behavior. At that time, Museveni ordered Gen Muhoozi to refrain from using social media, though the general has since resumed his online activity.
While provoking Kenya created one form of tension, challenging the US government is an entirely different matter. However, some analysts speculate that President Museveni himself may not be pleased with Ambassador Popp’s alleged “undiplomatic conduct.”
Sources suggest that the issue relates to the US Embassy’s stance that President Museveni should abandon his bid for a seventh term in 2026. Last month, Gen Muhoozi, who had previously announced his intention to run for president in 2026, endorsed his 80-year-old father for another term and warned that no civilian would lead Uganda after President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.
If the US request for Museveni to step down is accurate, the President may use the meeting to assert Uganda’s constitutional right to allow its people to choose their leader. While Museveni has held power for 38 years, he has consistently maintained that the decision on his succession rests with the Ugandan people.
