Mihail Neamțu, chairman of the Committee for Culture in the Chamber of Deputies, this week attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, one of the longest-serving African dictators still in office. The AUR deputy was accompanied by general (r) Bartolomeu Constantin Săvoiu, known in the public space for his favorable positions to Vladimir Putin. Contacted by “Adevărul” for clarification on this trip, Mihail Neamțu stated that he arrived in Kampala based on an official invitation and that he personally covered the costs of the plane tickets.
Yoweri Museveni was sworn in on April 12, officially becoming Uganda’s president for a seventh consecutive term. At 81, the leader from Kampala has been in power since 1986.
The January 2025 election was marred by allegations of fraud, violence and a severe crackdown on the opposition. A central role was played by Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son and head of the Ugandan Army. According to Reuters, he would have ordered the interruption of the Internet for four days and the mobilization of law enforcement against opposition supporters. Kainerugaba later announced that 30 people labeled as “terrorists” had been killed and about 2,000 “hooligans” had been arrested.
Museveni’s main rival, artist and politician Bobi Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi, later left Uganda and took refuge in the United States after security forces surrounded his home immediately after the election.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba is considered one of the most influential figures in Kampala’s power circle. Educated at Britain’s Sandhurst military academy, he has distinguished himself in recent years with controversial statements and posts on social media, including threats to opposition leaders and claims of a possible invasion of Kenya, for which he later publicly apologized alongside his father.
At the swearing-in ceremony, the Ugandan leader spoke of economic growth and the future commercial exploitation of the country’s oil reserves, without reference to the violence and casualties reported during the election.
“I attended the inauguration of a president who is not ashamed to invoke the name of Christ”
In this context, AUR deputy Mihail Neamțu chose to participate in the investiture ceremony organized in Kampala. He was accompanied by General (r) Bartolomeu Constantin Săvoiu, self-proclaimed “leader of the Freemasons” and known for his pro-Russian positions and statements.
“Adevărul” asked Mihail Neamțu three specific questions: who facilitated and financed the trip to Uganda, what vaccinations he had before the trip and how he evaluates the human rights situation in this country.
The AUR deputy sent an extensive response, in which he pleads for the development of cooperative relations between Romania and Uganda and claims that his trip to Kampala took place following an official invitation. In his message, Mihail Neamțu talks about the diplomatic and economic opportunities of a rapprochement between the two states, but without punctually answering all the questions asked by “Adevărul”.
“There are journeys that change you not through the exotic spectacle of distance, but through the depth of the witness they bear. Uganda was, for me, one of them. I arrived in the heart of Africa at the invitation of the officials of a country of 50 million people — a people in which 98% declare themselves Christian, of whom more than 500,000 are practicing Orthodox, with living parishes, with catechized youth, with growing bishops. I participated in the solemn investiture ceremony of a president who is not ashamed to publicly invoke the name of Christ and govern in the spirit of the perennial values of the family and the community. (…) The meeting with Metropolitan Hieronymus was, without a doubt, the soulful moment of this trip. Shepherding a Metropolis that stretches over an entire continent — His Holiness Hieronymus carries on his shoulders a responsibility that few understand from the armchairs comforts of rich Europe”, Mihail Neamțu sent.
Scandal with insults in the plenary session of the Parliament. “Infectious propagandist”/ “If I change sex are you happy?”
At the insistence of “Truth”, the AUR deputy later stated that he personally paid the costs of the plane tickets for the trip to Uganda, the accommodation probably being the responsibility of the Kampala authorities.
Regarding the vaccines required for travel, Mihail Neamțu, a critic of vaccination against COVID-19, offered an evasive answer, stating only that “I have done all the necessary health tests for this visit.”
Yellow fever vaccination, mandatory for entry into Uganda
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel warning for Uganda, a country where vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory, the certificate being required both to obtain a visa and to enter the country. Authorities also recommend vaccination against several infectious diseases, including typhoid, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria and polio.
From a medical point of view, Uganda is classified by the MFA as having a complex epidemiological profile, with risks associated with diseases such as malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, meningitis, typhoid fever and Marburg hemorrhagic fever, the latter being associated with recurrent outbreaks and a high mortality rate.
In addition to the health risks, the MAE also signals a fragile security context, indicating the existence of an increased risk of terrorism in Uganda and the East African region. In this sense, the institution recommends avoiding large gatherings, including public and religious events with large participation.
The warnings also include high levels of urban crime, from thefts and armed robberies to assaults, including risks to personal safety, with night-time travel, unlit areas and public transport being advised to be avoided.
