KAMPALA | Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has drawn a direct link between the September arrest of former spy chief Maj. Gen. Abel Kandiho and exiled Rwandan General Kayumba Nyamwasa’s Rwanda National Congress (RNC), in the wake of the gruesome murder of former RDF soldier Robert Kabera.
In a post on X that has triggered a fierce exchange with Nyamwasa, Gen. Muhoozi suggested that elements of Nyamwasa’s RNC could have been behind Kabera’s beheading in Mpigi as retaliation for Kandiho’s arrest.
“I highly suspect that certain elements of Kayumba’s RNC were responsible. Are they retaliating for Kandiho’s arrest? We shall get to the truth,” Gen. Muhoozi posted.
The statement is the first time a top UPDF commander has publicly connected the two exiled military figures — Kandiho and Nyamwasa — in the same security case.
Why Kandiho Matters in Rwanda Equation
Gen. Kandiho, former head of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), was arrested in September 2026 under unclear circumstances. During his tenure as CMI chief, Kigali repeatedly accused him of facilitating and arming Rwandan dissidents, including the RNC — allegations Kampala has always denied.
Kandiho was seen as a hardliner on Rwanda and was removed from CMI in 2022 at a time when Uganda was trying to repair relations with Kigali.
Gen. Muhoozi’s post now suggests that Kandiho still had operational relevance to the RNC network, and that his latest arrest may have provoked a violent response from RNC elements inside Uganda.
It also comes days after the murder of Sgt. Robert Kabera, a former RDF Jazz Band instructor and vocal critic of the Kigali government who fled to Uganda in 2020. Kabera was found beheaded on October 17 in Luwala Village, Kamengo, Mpigi District.
Police say investigations are ongoing. No suspects have been named.
Nyamwasa Fires Back
Exiled Gen. Nyamwasa, who lives in South Africa, responded angrily to Gen. Muhoozi’s claim.
“#Muhoozi, you know that I am a full General, and I am among those who captured Uganda along with your Father. So if you want to launch a war against me, we will fight,” Nyamwasa posted.
He added that he had “a lot to say” and that time had come for Muhoozi to know “exactly who I am to the country of Uganda.”
Nyamwasa was born in Uganda, joined the NRA Bush War in 1986 alongside President Museveni, and later became RDF Chief of Staff before falling out with President Paul Kagame and forming the RNC in exile.
Neither the UPDF nor the Ministry of Defence has issued a formal statement beyond Gen. Muhoozi’s X post. Gen. Kandiho’s current whereabouts and charges have also not been officially communicated.
The allegations remain unproven and are likely to further complicate the delicate security relations between Kampala and Kigali.
The post Uganda’s Army boss Gen. Muhoozi Links Gen. Kandiho Arrest to Exiled Gen. Nyamwasa’s RNC After Mpigi Murder appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.