‘Give me Beyonce’ – Ugandan army chief challenges Jay-Z

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has sparked fresh controversy after publicly declaring his desire to marry global music superstar Beyoncé and challenging her husband, rapper and businessman Jay-Z, to a fight.

Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, made the remarks in a series of posts on X, in which he claimed Jay-Z should surrender his wife to him.

“Jay-Z should give Beyoncé to me,” Kainerugaba wrote, before adding that if the American rapper refused, “he should come to Uganda and fight me. The winner will take Beyoncé.”

The Ugandan military chief also boasted about his wealth, claiming that ownership of thousands of Ankole cattle made him richer than the music mogul.

“I have thousands of Ankole cows. Jay-Z is poor because he doesn’t own Ankole cattle,” he wrote, adding that he was prepared to take the matter to the United Nations.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z, one of the entertainment industry’s most influential couples, have been married since April 4, 2008 and have three children together. Neither has publicly responded to Kainerugaba’s comments.

The latest remarks are part of a string of controversial social media posts by the outspoken general.

In 2022, he triggered a diplomatic dispute after claiming that Uganda’s military could capture Nairobi within two weeks, forcing the Ugandan government to distance itself from the comments and apologise to Kenya.

Later that year, he proposed paying bride price in Ankole cattle for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a suggestion that was dismissed by her office.

In 2025, Kainerugaba again generated debate after declaring that trousers were for men and ordering female soldiers in the Uganda People’s Defence Force to wear skirts during parades. He warned that commanders who disobeyed the directive would face disciplinary action.

His latest comments involving Beyoncé have once again drawn international attention, with many questioning the appropriateness of such remarks from a serving military chief.