[UAH] Uganda's presidential grooming affair continues after government reshuffle

Uganda's presidential grooming affair continues after government reshuffle

By Godfrey Olukya

  

President Yoweri Museveni Museveni has promoted several army officers to the rank of general

Ugandan's main opposition party has accused President Yoweri Museveni of using a recent cabinet reshuffle and promotion of army commanders to position his son to succeed him.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) on Monday said the appointment of a new army commander General Katumba Wamala was meaningless as Museveni's son Brigadier Muhoozi Kainerugaba actually called the shots.

 

Kayinerugaba commands a crack unit of the army responsible for Museveni's security and there are reports that he is being groomed to succeed the long serving ruler.

A letter authored by a senior army commander General David Sejjusa and published by the privately owned Daily Monitor alleging that soldiers opposed to the succession plan would be assassinated, has raised the political temperatures in the country.

The paper has been under police siege together with another publication since the letter was published. Sejjusa has since skipped the country.

Wamala has dismissed Sejjusa's claims and asked him to apologise to Museveni.

But FDC said the army commander had no influence since Museveni's son controlled the elite forces and was in charge of the military's most sophisticated weaponry.

"General Wamala is most likely to be of ceremonies since he will not be deciding on anything without being approved by Brigadier Muhoozi [Kayinerugaba]who is the commander of the special defense forces and in this case has much authority," FDC spokesperson Phillip Wafula Oguttu told journalists in Kampala.

Last week Museveni promoted several army officers to the rank of general.

Wamala, referring to Sejjusa, said he would not tolerate indiscipline in the army.



"As a new commander I will not entertain indiscipline in the army," he said. "I advise my brother Sejjusa to apologise to the president."

Sejjusa left Uganda immediately after the letter was published and soldiers were deployed at Entebbe International Airport on May 13 with the intention of arresting him on arrival.

Wafula urged media organisations in the country to unite in their fight for freedom of expression and reopening of the newspapers that were shut down by the government.

Meanwhile, Wamala has dismissed allegations that Sejjusa's persecution had caused friction in the army.

He maintained that the general's comments would not affect the morale in the army or affect the country's security.

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H.OGWAPITI
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