Ugandan military commander calls for Turkish citizens to leave country

Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba has issued new threats against Turkish citizens and interests in Uganda. In recent social media posts, Kainerugaba called for Turkish nationals to ‘pack their bags and leave the country immediately.’

Kainerugaba has also called for a large-scale protest to be held in front of the Turkish Embassy in Kampala on September 18. He stated that any individual identified as a ‘Turkish agent’ who opposes the demonstration would be arrested.

The tensions follow previous actions by Kainerugaba, including threats to cancel Turkish company tenders and disrupt diplomatic relations. Notably, the $3.2 billion railway tender previously won by the Turkish firm Yapı Merkezi was cancelled in June. Much of the friction stems from Uganda's demand for the extradition of Fred Kajubi Lumbuye, a critic of the Ugandan government who is currently in Turkey.