Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered Turkish nationals to leave the country, escalating tensions between Uganda and Türkiye.
Muhoozi announced the directive on Wednesday, September 9, saying he had severed ties with Turkish interests in Uganda and calling on Turkish nationals to leave as soon as possible.
The military chief also announced plans for a demonstration at the Turkish Embassy in Kampala on September 18, directing a legislator identified as Fadhil to oversee the mobilisation.
He warned that anyone acting as a Turkish “agent” during the planned demonstration would be arrested.
The latest escalation follows an ongoing dispute between Muhoozi and Turkish authorities over Ugandan blogger and government critic Fred Kajubi Lumbuye, who is based in Türkiye.
Muhoozi and his supporters have demanded that Turkish authorities hand Lumbuye over to Uganda, with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) previously organising demonstrations at the Turkish Embassy over the matter.
In June, Muhoozi had already issued a 30-day ultimatum for Turkish nationals, including diplomatic staff, to leave Uganda. He subsequently cited religious instructions as the basis for the directive.
The latest order comes despite longstanding diplomatic and economic ties between Uganda and Türkiye, including cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, education, defence and energy. Turkish businesses and nationals are active in several sectors of Uganda’s economy.
The development could further strain bilateral relations, although it is not immediately clear from the reports whether the latest directive has been formally adopted as a government immigration order.
Muhoozi, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, is also chairman of the PLU. His public interventions on foreign relations and political matters have repeatedly attracted regional attention.