The Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has held talks with the German Ambassador to Uganda, His Excellency Matthias Schauer, in a meeting aimed at stabilising and strengthening Uganda–Germany relations.
The meeting, held at the Special Forces Command Headquarters, focused on bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed the longstanding partnership between Kampala and Berlin.
According to an official statement, discussions covered a wide range of issues of mutual interest, with both sides expressing a shared commitment to deepen collaboration across several sectors, including diplomacy, development cooperation and regional stability.
The engagement comes against the backdrop of an earlier and more sensitive diplomatic encounter in Gulu, where Ambassador Schauer, alongside other European Union envoys, met General Salim Saleh Akandwanaho who is a Senior Presidential Adviser.
During that Gulu meeting, the German ambassador raised concerns about public statements and conduct attributed to Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, warning that some of the rhetoric risked damaging Uganda’s international image and relations with its development partners.
Those remarks later became a flashpoint in Uganda–Germany relations, contributing to a period of diplomatic tension that saw sharp exchanges and the temporary suspension of certain areas of military cooperation.
The episode underscored growing sensitivities around governance, public communication by senior security figures, and Uganda’s relations with Western partners ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The latest meeting between Ambassador Schauer and Gen Muhoozi, however, appeared to mark a deliberate shift toward direct engagement and diplomatic recalibration and both leaders reviewed the historical context of Uganda–Germany relations, which have for decades been anchored in mutual respect, development cooperation and sustained diplomatic engagement.
Ambassador Schauer commended Uganda’s active role in Regional Affairs and reiterated Germany’s commitment to maintaining a constructive partnership with Uganda and also pointed to opportunities for enhanced cooperation, signalling Berlin’s willingness to look beyond past disagreements and focus on future collaboration.
The meeting follows Ambassador Schauer’s recent engagement with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, reinforcing the high-level nature of ongoing diplomatic efforts to normalise and strengthen ties between the two countries.
Officials noted that the continuity of engagements show a shared recognition of the strategic importance of Uganda–Germany relations.
Both Gen Muhoozi and Ambassador Schauer agreed that any differences should be addressed through sustained diplomatic dialogue and mutual understanding, rather than public confrontation.
The decision to engage directly, after earlier indirect exchanges through intermediaries, signals a maturing approach to diplomacy on both sides.
The meeting has been interpreted by Political Analysts as a confidence-building step, suggesting that Kampala and Berlin are keen to move past recent frictions and refocus on maintaining healthy, productive and forward-looking relations rooted in cooperation rather than contention.
