NARROW ESCAPE: When First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba Almost Died During a Military Drill

First son and commander land forces Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has narrated how he almost got killed in a military drill. 

Some Ugandans have always raised eyebrows on Lt Gen Kainerugaba’s promotions, saying he was not a battle-hardened general.

But in an interview with veteran media personality Arinaitwe Rugyendo, Muhoozi narrated his close shave with death in a military drill.

The interview centred on Operation Shujaa, an offensive against ADF in DR Congo.

According to CLF Kainerugaba, the UPDF has only lost three soldiers, “mainly through our own mistakes.”

He revealed that one soldier lost his life “because he was standing too close to his friend when he was firing an RPG!”

This was the same mistake that almost cost the first son his life 20 years ago.

In a military drill ahead of an operation against the LRA in Teso, Museveni’s son nearly got killed.

“I got the same problem in 2002 when Mzee [President Museveni] sent us for an exercise in Kabamba before we went to Teso to battle a Lord’s Resistence Army (LRA) incursion there,” narrated Kainerugaba.

“I stood very close to one of our soldiers who was firing an RPG. The back blast threw me like 10 meters. The next thing I remember was waking up at the MRS [Medical Reception Station] in Kabamba.”

Samuel Kamugisha

Samuel Kamugisha is a Ugandan journalist, editor, translator, language instructor, poet, fiction and non-fiction writer. A Makerere University graduate of Journalism and Communication with a decade-long experience in news reporting, writing and editing, Kamugisha is Editor at The Pearl Times. His other journalistic work was published by The Observer. When he is not doing journalism work -- which is rare -- Kamugisha will be reading or writing a short story or a poem, or caught up in the writer's block. His new children's book 'Friends of Plastics' has been published by Room to Read and Reading Association of Uganda and can be read here: https://literacycloud.org/stories/7887-friends-of-plastic/

Recent Posts

LIST: Education Ministry Hires Lecturers for Government Oil School

LIST: Education Ministry Hires Lecturers for Government Oil School

2 months ago

TIME TO EAT! Billions Approved for RDCs’ Allowances and Facilitation on Top of Huge Salary Increment Starting July 2026

TIME TO EAT! Billions Approved for RDCs’ Allowances and Facilitation on Top of Huge Salary…

3 months ago

Six People Killed in Accident as Taxi Transporting Wedding Guests to Nakasongola Overturns

Six People Killed in Accident as Taxi Transporting Wedding Guests to Nakasongola Overturns

3 months ago

SAD! Makerere University Student Found Dead in Her Room

SAD! Makerere University Student Found Dead in Her Room

3 months ago

How Did You Get All This Money? When Museveni Demanded Answers on Speaker Anita Among Wealth Source

Anita Among, the Speaker of Uganda's Parliament, has reportedly acquired a Rolls Royce Cullinan 2025…

3 months ago

LIST: Names of Teachers Confirmed on Government Payroll – Including Four Who Were Dead by Time of Confirmation

LIST: Names of Teachers Confirmed on Government Payroll – Including Four Who Were Dead by…

3 months ago