Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday appointed his son as top commander of the army, a controversial move in a country where many have long believed Museveni is grooming his eldest child for the presidency.

Kainerugaba was promoted to his new post late Thursday, according to a military statement.

Museveni, who first took power by force in 1986 and has been elected six times, has not said when he would retire.

Uganda's next presidential election will be held in 2026.

Kainerugaba joined the army in the late 1990s, and his rise to the top of the armed forces has been controversial, with critics dubbing it the "Muhoozi Project" to prepare him for the presidency.

Museveni and Kainerugaba have long denied the existence of such a scheme, but it appears a transition is underway as Museveni, 79, serves what could be his last term without a recognizable successor within the civilian government.

Kainerugaba has most recently been serving as a senior presidential advisor in charge of special operations, after his father removed him as infantry commander in 2022. At the time, Kainerugaba was responsible for a series of offensive tweets, including an unprovoked one in which he threatened to capture the capital of neighboring Kenya. He has previously served as the commander of an elite group of special forces protecting the first family.