Uganda military chief demands medal from former colleague before troops sent to Gaza as part of ISF

Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba further demanded an apology from US Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, prior to the deployment of Ugandan troops to Gaza.

Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) Chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba confirmed that Ugandan troops will be deployed to Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) but alleged that no soldiers would be deployed until he receives a medal from his alma mater in a series of posts on X/Twitter on Saturday.

“We as Ugandans have accepted the Gaza mission, because everybody else was running away,” Kainerugaba stated.

Hours later, he followed the post up with another, stating, "We are not going to send a single UPDF soldier to Gaza before my former college in Fort Leavenworth, USA, honours me with a medal."

General demands apology from US Senate Foreign Relations Committee prior to deployment

Kainerugaba further demanded an apology from US Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, prior to the deployment of Ugandan troops to Gaza.

"Mr. Risch is quite happy to heap insults upon me and the UPDF," the general wrote in an additional post. "Not a single Ugandan soldier shall die in Gaza for Mr. Risch."

Risch demanded on June 30 that the United States review its security ties with Kampala after Kainerugaba ordered the shutdown of two major Ugandan news outlets after the general said that he did not "believe in a free press."

Kainerugaba’s posts follow Uganda's approval on August 10 to deploy UPDF soldiers to Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) proposed by US President Donald Trump.

Ugandan Defense Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka said at the time that the approval aligned with the country's constitutional obligations and international commitments.

“The UPDF contingent will remain neutral, comply with International humanitarian law, protect civilians without taking sides in political disputes, and operate solely under the mandate of the Stabilization Mission,” said Kiwanuka.

Kainerugaba previously threatened to join Iran war 'on the side of Israel'

Kainerugaba has weighed in on Middle Eastern affairs before, threatening on March 26 that Uganda would join the Iran war "on the side of Israel."

"We want the war in the Middle East to end now," he said in an X post at the time. "The world is tired of it."

"Israel has a right to exist, and attacks against her must stop," he added in a since-deleted post.

Mathilda Heller, Ariella Roitman, and Reuters contributed to this report.