Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has threatened to arrest officials of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), accusing members of the organisation of corruption and declaring the committee an “illegal organisation.”
Muhoozi made the remarks on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in a series of posts on X, escalating an increasingly public dispute involving PACEID and its chairman, Odrek Rwabwogo, who is President Yoweri Museveni’s son-in-law.
“PACEID is an illegal organisation. We shall start arresting its members immediately,” Muhoozi said, according to reports of his posts.
He further warned that officials allegedly involved in corruption would be targeted, saying: “We are going to arrest ALL the members of PACEID involved in corruption.”
Muhoozi also issued a warning to radio and television stations, threatening consequences for broadcasters that give airtime to PACEID officials.
“Radios and TVs that allow members of the outlawed PACEID to talk will face severe consequences,” he said.
The statements have generated questions about the legal status of PACEID and the basis for the threatened arrests. PACEID was established by President Museveni in 2022 and operates as an advisory body focused on exports and industrial development. Rwabwogo serves as its chairman.
PACEID’s own public platforms continue to publish activities involving export promotion, market development and industrial growth. Recent material on its website includes programmes aimed at strengthening Uganda’s export markets and improving value chains.
The confrontation is particularly notable because Rwabwogo is related to Muhoozi by marriage. Their political differences have increasingly attracted public attention, with supporters and allies on both sides exchanging accusations.
In July, PACEID publicly responded to what it described as a coordinated social-media campaign involving falsehoods and personal attacks against the institution and Rwabwogo.
Muhoozi’s latest statements have now raised the stakes, with his warning moving beyond criticism to an explicit threat of arrests and possible action against media organisations that host PACEID representatives.
He also appeared to reference recent political events when warning that the confrontation should not be taken lightly, although some of his statements were not accompanied by details of specific offences, suspects or legal proceedings.
As of Tuesday, there was no publicly confirmed list of PACEID officials facing arrest over the allegations, and no formal announcement from police or the military confirming an investigation into the organisation. PACEID and Rwabwogo had also not publicly responded to Muhoozi’s latest statements at the time of reporting.
The allegations of corruption remain allegations and have not been established by a court of law. Any arrests or prosecutions would therefore require clarification of the specific offences being investigated and the legal basis for action.
The episode is likely to attract further attention because it involves two prominent figures within President Museveni’s political establishment and comes amid wider debates over political influence, accountability, media freedom and the future direction of Uganda’s ruling establishment.
