Swift Museveni apology averted economic meltdown, analysts say
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has averted what would have been a regional economic meltdown caused by his son, a top military officer who made juvenile military invasion threats against Nairobi.
In a tweet on Monday, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, then a Lieutenant General in charge of Ugandan Land Forces ruffled economic diplomacy and caused political jitters when he remarked: “It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi.”
The statement has since drawn condemnation from the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula who quipped that “Uganda is Kenya’s meme,” and an apology from President Museveni, underlying the potential ramifications at stake. Muhoozi has since been elevated to a full general by his father.
“Dear Ugandans, the brotherly people of Kenya, and all East Africans. I greet all of you. I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us for the tweets sent by General Muhoozi,” tweeted President Museveni.
Economic analysts People Daily talked to yesterday reckoned Muhoozi’s outburst were disruptive to the East African Community (EAC) regional integration, as it had the potential to melt down trade.
Samuel Nyandemo, a senior Economics lecturer at the University of Nairobi (UoN) reckoned that Muhoozi must have discussed with his father, and that being a senior military officer in the Ugandan army, his sentiments must be taken seriously.
Key sectors
“This needs to be monitored by Kenya and a retaliatory message sent because immediately he made the remarks, he was promoted, said Nyandemo who feared the reckless pronouncement can affect manufacturing and the transport sectors.
“The pronouncements will create uncertainty within the region, with the manufacturing and transport sectors affected. With this perceived animosity, traders are likely to adopt a wait and see attitude to see how the situation pans out. To say the least, it was a reckless statement,” the university don said.
According to Gerrishon Ikiara,(pictured)an Economics Consultant and Senior lecturer, Associate Director at University of Nairobi’s Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, Muhoozi’s statement was unwarranted, especially because East Africa has no problem on its boundaries. “It (Muhoozi’s statement) can create a major political, economic and social instability as both countries are integrated and major trading partners,” he said.
