A diplomatic storm is brewing between Uganda and the United States, and it all started online.

At the centre of the dispute is Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who took to social media with claims that the US Embassy in Kampala had crossed into Uganda’s internal political space.

The army chief, who is the son of President Yoweri Museveni, then suggested severing military cooperation between Kampala and Washington, including their joint security operations in the Horn of Africa.

The posts referenced opposition figure Bobi Wine and immediately sparked controversy. Within hours, the messages were taken down.

‘Incorrect information’

General Muhoozi later said the information he relied on was incorrect and confirmed that military cooperation with the United States would ‘’continue as usual’’.

But in Washington, the explanation did little to calm nerves. One of the top officials expressing concern is US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman US Senator Jim Risch, who said General Kainerugaba ‘’has crossed a red line’’.

The US senator said the Trump administration ‘must reevaluate’ US security partnership with Uganda and possibly impose sanctions because, according to him, the Ugandan army chief’s deletion of the initial posts and issuing ‘‘hollow apologies’’ were not enough.

However, the Ugandan military leadership has now pushed back. Defence spokesperson Colonel Chris Magezi described the remarks by the US senator as ‘’an outdated colonial tactic’’ of intimidation and interference in Uganda’s ‘’internal affairs’’, vowing Kampala will ‘’vigorously’’ resist such an approach.

Trump yet to react

However, Colonel Magezi underlined the depth of cooperation between Uganda and the US across various sectors, which he said should not be affected by public exchanges on social media.

So far, there have been no words from US President Donald Trump on the row.

The timing of the dispute is not accidental. It follows Uganda’s recent elections, in which President Yoweri Museveni secured a seventh five-year term to extend his 40-year rule, but his main rival Bobi Wine has rejected the outcome, alleging irregularities. The authorities have denied the claims.