NATIONAL
Uganda’s Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, has distanced the government from social media posts made by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), saying they do not represent official government positions.
Speaking on Capital FM’s political talk show The Capital Gang on Saturday, Dr. Baryomunsi emphasized that the CDF “does not speak for the government of Uganda” and that his tweets should be regarded as personal comments rather than policy statements.
“For the record, the CDF does not speak for the government of Uganda. He prefers Twitter communication, short posts, sometimes deleted, and Ugandans have formed their own opinions about them. These tweets are not official government positions and are largely seen as casual comments. I have raised this with the appointing authority, including the President. Admittedly, such tweets make my work as a government spokesperson more difficult,” Baryomunsi said.
He noted that while some of the tweets have sparked public debate, many Ugandans recognize them as informal remarks rather than credible government pronouncements. Referring to one controversial post in which the CDF allegedly threatened to “hang Dr. Kizza Besige by June 6th,” Baryomunsi pointed out that such statements were never acted upon and were not taken seriously by the public.
“As a government spokesperson, I treat them as casual comments he makes on social media. I have discussed this issue with the appointing authority, with the President.
The minister’s remarks come amid growing scrutiny of public officials’ use of social media, with concerns that unfiltered posts can cause confusion about official government policy.
