Uganda army chief, who once wanted to marry Italian PM Meloni, now wants Turkey to give him '$1 bn & their most beautiful woman’

Uganda’s army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has triggered a diplomatic storm after demanding $1 billion from Turkey—along with what he called “the most beautiful woman” in the country—warning that failure to comply could lead to a complete breakdown of relations.

In a series of now-deleted posts on X, Kainerugaba framed the money as a “security dividend” for Uganda’s long-running military role in Somalia, where its troops have been deployed under African Union missions fighting the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab.

“On top of the $1 billion from Turkey, I want the most beautiful woman in that country for a wife!” he wrote in a post that quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism online and raising questions about Uganda’s diplomatic stance.


The general warned that if his demands were not met within 30 days, Uganda could shut down Turkey’s embassy in Kampala and restrict operations of Turkish Airlines.

“For Turkey it’s a really simple deal… Either they pay us or I close their embassy here,” he wrote, suggesting Ankara could respond in kind by shutting Uganda’s embassy in Turkey.



Kainerugaba also accused Turkey of benefiting from infrastructure and operational deals in Mogadishu while Uganda shouldered the security burden over nearly two decades of conflict. Calling the relationship “serious,” he even advised Ugandans to avoid traveling to Turkey “for your own safety.”

In the same set of posts, Kainerugaba expressed support for Israel, saying he was ready to deploy 100,000 Ugandan soldiers to defend what he described as “the Holy Land.”

The comments have further fueled concerns about whether his statements reflect official government policy or personal views. There has been no immediate response from Turkish or Somali authorities, and Ugandan officials have yet to issue a clarification.

A pattern of controversial statements
This is not the first time Kainerugaba’s remarks have sparked international attention. In 2022, he offered 100 Ankole cows to Italy in exchange for marrying Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, even warning of capturing Rome if rejected.

The episode forced an apology from his father, President Yoweri Museveni, who publicly rebuked him for interfering in foreign affairs.

That same year, Kainerugaba also made threats of military action against Kenya—remarks that led to his temporary removal from his position and another official apology.

What happens next?
The latest controversy lands at a sensitive time for regional diplomacy, especially given Uganda’s role in security operations in Somalia.

For now, the silence from both Kampala and Ankara leaves an open question hanging: are these statements a signal—or just another episode of one man’s unfiltered diplomacy spilling into global headlines?