President Yoweri Museveni used his swearing-in speech to revisit a deeply personal chapter of his liberation struggle; his historic connection to Mozambique.

In an emotional moment, Museveni singled out Mozambican President Daniel Francisco Chapo and asked him to stand up for recognition before the packed Kololo grounds.

The President told guests that Mozambique played a critical role in his revolutionary journey, revealing that he trained his first FRONASA militants in Montepuez with support from the late Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere.

Museveni explained that the experience later helped him build the National Resistance Army (NRA), the rebel movement that eventually captured power in Uganda in January 1986.

The revelation drew applause from guests, especially liberation movement veterans attending the ceremony.

In another symbolic moment toward the end of the event, Museveni called up Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and personally introduced him to President Chapo as heads of state prepared to depart.

The brief interaction sparked fresh political chatter among guests and observers, with many interpreting it as another powerful signal of continuity between Uganda’s liberation history and its current military leadership.

President Yoweri Museveni has often shared a personal story about the birth of his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, recalling that a day after Muhoozi was born on April 24, 1974, he enthusiastically telephoned Mozambican revolutionary leader Samora Machel to break the news.

Museveni has used the anecdote over the years to illustrate the close ties he maintained with liberation movements across Africa during the anti-colonial and revolutionary struggles of the 1970s. At the time, Museveni was involved in guerrilla activities and political mobilization in the region, while Machel was leading Mozambique’s liberation movement, FRELIMO, before later becoming the country’s first president after independence in 1975.