* Muhoozi Kainerugaba made army general
* West, opposition criticised Museveni over long presidency
* Museveni in power since 1986
By Elias Biryabarema
KAMPALA, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni promoted his son to the rank of brigadier general on Monday, fanning speculation he was grooming Muhoozi Kainerugaba for succession.
Critics say Kainerugaba, already in charge of the army’s powerful elite unit, has rushed through the ranks since he joined the military in 1998. In 2001, he jumped two positions from 2nd Lieutenant to Major.
“The President and Commander in Chief has … decided to re-organise the Special Forces Group (SFG) into Special Forces Command (SFC) which will be under the overall command of Brig (General) Muhoozi Kainerugaba who has been promoted from the rank of Col.,” said a government statement.
Museveni has been in power since 1986. Western powers and opposition parties accused him of planning to stay in office for the rest of his life when the government removed presidential term limits from the constitution in 2005.
Last month, visiting U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, pressed Museveni to consider his “legacy”, an apparent reference to his reluctance to cede power.
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