Toting sub-machine guns and sometimes wearing masks as they drive along the streets of Uganda, members of an elite military unit are increasingly viewed as a private army to keep 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni in power - along with his ever-growing family dynasty.
Museveni has led Uganda since 1986, when his rebel forces marched into the capital, Kampala. He has since won four elections - all marred by allegations of violence and rigging.
But this is nothing new in the country - since Uganda gained independence in 1962, power has only ever changed hands through rebellions or military coups.
Museveni is seeking re-election next year and the opposition fears that the Special Forces Command (SFC) could be used to prevent it from campaigning, as it says was the case in 2021.
But the SFC, which for years was commanded by Museveni's son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has been accused by government critics of abducting, torturing, and killing opposition activists throughout the year, not just during elections. The SFC denies these allegations.
It's like a shadow army within the army which is only answerable to the president and his son. Its rise and influence is causing resentment among senior generals, one military source told the BBC.
This is compounded by the fact that Gen. Kainerugaba, 51, now the army chief, has expressed his ambition to succeed his father someday, leading to further concerns about dynastic control.
For many observers, the SFC has become so influential that it rivals the power of the regular army, raising fears of potential conflicts.
This controversy has been exacerbated by a parliamentary amendment recognizing the SFC as one of Uganda’s four official military services, a move widely criticized by the opposition.
As the striving for power within Uganda's military escalates, fears heighten about the prospect of instability following Museveni's inevitable political exit.
