Opposition politician and vocal government critic Ssemujju Nganda has publicly dismissed recent threats attributed to Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, saying he remains unshaken despite warnings that he could face arrest over his continued commentary on state conduct.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, Ssemujju, a close ally of detained lawyer Erias Lukwago, maintained that fear would not influence his political stance or public criticism of military involvement in civic affairs.
He responded directly to the escalating tension surrounding remarks allegedly made by Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, insisting that accountability must apply to all public officials regardless of rank.
“I can feel pain like any other human being, and I can experience fear,” Ssemujju said. “But I will not lose sleep over Muhoozi. Let him come and arrest me. No problem.”
He questioned the assumption that state power confers immunity from human vulnerability, arguing that no leader is beyond the reach of illness, accountability, or mortality.
“After arresting me, will he become immortal? Will he become an angel whom nobody can ever arrest? Will he never fall sick?” he posed, drawing attention to what he described as growing intimidation in public discourse.
Ssemujju also urged Ugandans not to succumb to fear when engaging with security leadership, saying public officers are paid by taxpayers and must remain answerable to them.
“Muhoozi has a duty to serve the interests of Ugandans, not his personal interests. Those taxpayers have every right to hold him accountable,” he said.
He further recalled past political encounters, including a televised discussion shortly after violent incidents in Kampala, where he clashed with the late Gen Elly Tumwine. Ssemujju said that despite fears at the time that he could be targeted, he continued speaking out.
“I told Tumwine to stop celebrating deaths. Many believed I would not leave alive. But today Tumwine is dead, and I am still alive,” he said, adding that life and death remain beyond human control.
He invoked religious reflection, citing Islamic teachings on the unpredictability of death, and pointed to casualties from past conflicts, including the Luweero bush war and international peacekeeping missions, as evidence that no one is immune to fate.
“Some soldiers died in Luweero, others in Somalia, others in helicopter crashes. So I will not live in fear,” he said.
Ssemujju concluded by reiterating that threats, whether direct or implied, would not deter him from political engagement. “Muhoozi can arrest me, he can even kill me, but that does not change anything. One day he too will die, like everyone else. I will not stop speaking.”