By Elijah Koome
An X post published on September 21, 2026, by X user Judith Serene claimed that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had published a diplomatic communique addressing threats by Uganda’s General Muhoozi Kainerugaba against Türkiye.
According to X data, the account that published the post is based in Uganda and is connected to X via Uganda’s Android App. In the bio, the user has hashtags like “#concerned citizen,” “#Activist,” and “#wellnessadvocate.”
Background
Muhoozi Kainerugaba is chief of the Ugandan army and the son of President Yoweri Museveni. He is known for his vocal presence on social media, especially on X. In a post, Muhoozi once claimed he could easily take Nairobi with his army, and in another, he accused the US embassy of helping Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, escape from Uganda after the January elections.
On September 9, 2026, Muhoozi asked Turkish nationals to leave Uganda through his social media accounts. Muhoozi’s dispute with Turkey stems from the latter harbouring a Ugandan blogger, Fred Lumbuye, who has been critical of Museveni’s regime. In his X bio, Fred describes himself as “Uganda’s most followed activist who gives liberation information to the people of Uganda.” His posts also indicate that he is a Bobi Wine supporter. According to a 2021 report by DW, Fred had been arrested in Turkey but was never handed to Uganda.
On September 18, people affiliated with the Patriotic League of Uganda, a group supported by Muhoozi, protested at the Turkish embassy in Uganda demanding the extradition of Fred Lumbuye. A day later, a spokesperson for the Ugandan army posted a statement on X announcing that the army had decided to suspend all defense and military cooperation with Türkiye until “outstanding issues of mutual defence and military cooperation between the two countries are resolved.”
Earlier, on April 11, Muhoozi had demanded $1 billion from Turkey, citing the role of the Ugandan army in stabilizing Somalia, where Turkey has various interests. In the same breath, he had also asked to marry the most beautiful woman in Turkey. The posts were later deleted.
Verification
A close examination of the purported communique by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs raises several red flags. First, the language in the document is personal and insulting, with the use of phrases like “narcissistic crimes against humanity.” Secondly, the document contains basic spelling and grammar errors (e.g. “Turkiye” instead of “Türkiye” and “reign” instead of “rein”). Upon checking the official sources like the X account of the Turkish Embassy in Uganda, there was a clear warning that a fake press statement had been circulating on social media and should be ignored. Further, the official website of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which contains chronologically dated press statements from 1997 up to date, has no record of such a statement. The two most recent press statements were issued on September 24 and September 18; none was issued on September 21. Had such a statement been issued, it would be included among these other official press statements.
Verdict
The communique allegedly issued by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs denouncing Muhoozi’s conduct is FAKE.
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