[UAH] The Observer - Museveni explains army promotions

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The day before he announced major changes in the UPDF leadership last month, President Museveni took time off to address the High Command, explaining why it was important to "continuously renew the vigour of the army command with young blood."

Highly-placed sources who attended the High Command meeting at State House Entebbe on May, 22, 2013, have told us that President Museveni, reading from a prepared text, said young officers saved the army from slipping into a crisis after many NRA commanders were neutralised by sickness, especially in the 1980s and 90s.

"Personal indiscipline led to so many of our very useful cadres getting sick on the very dawn of our capture of state power in 1986 and subsequently," Museveni reportedly said. "Apart from ill-health, which always affects work, the expenses involved in catering for these cadres all these years, there was also the question of interfering with our training programme."

The commander-in-chief was addressing his commanders not long after one of them, Gen David Sejusa, aka Tinyefuza, had spoken of a plot to assassinate top government officials said to be opposed to a perceived plan to elevate the president's son, Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to the presidency.

Museveni told the officers that he had initially planned to offer training to all combat commanders but this could not be done quickly because this training was being done outside Uganda where certain health standards were compulsory. He cited an incident involving at least five nominees for a senior command training course in Russia, who were all "found unfit for that course on health grounds."

Museveni also cited "very good commanders like the late Kamuntu and Kateregga" who he said broke down and died while undertaking rigorous training in Uganda and Tanzania where health standards were not emphasised. Between the 1980s and 1990s, Uganda was ravaged by HIV/Aids, which affected all manner of people, including soldiers, with the prevalence rate reaching 36% at one point.

Consequently, many victorious army officers who had survived the treacherous guerrilla war did not live to enjoy the freedom they had fought for.

"I do not have to enumerate the thousands of our commanders and soldiers who have died on account of sickness, many more than those who died in combat," Museveni told his now sombre audience, before adding, "owing to our resourcefulness, we were able to absorb this trauma."

Absorbing trauma

According to our source, the president explained that they had absorbed this trauma by looking after their sick comrades, and recruiting a lot of young people who were subjected to health tests. Some military political commissars were also drafted into the courses, he said.

Museveni expressed his unease with the health tests, saying it was not the most efficient or even economic way to run an army, but was quick to add that under the circumstances it was the best option.

Lashing out at critics of these young army officers, who have since matured into able commanders, Museveni said: "What is, however, most annoying and is tending to negate our very aims is to find that some of these elements resent the political commissars we converted to command roles and the young commanders we have groomed. This is not acceptable and must stop."

Museveni argued that even if all his commanders had been healthy, they would have required infusion of younger blood.

"That is why in the conditions and terms of service, we provided for age limits and level of command. We provided for instance, that somebody should not be a Captain after the age of 40 years, a Major after the age of 45 years, a Colonel after the age of 51 years, etc. Either he advances or retires," Museveni said.

Using Runyankore words, Museveni described to the older cadres who resent young commanders as "abashaija babi" – bad men.

"Did we want our army to collapse with us just because so many of our comrades turned out to be sick? The young healthy people rescued this army and all should salute them. The older but sick cadres are also contributing and some have survived with the new drugs," he said.

Those exhibiting obushaija bubi (being bad men), the commander-in-chief counselled, "must be criticised, must criticise themselves and must stop going around telling lies to the public or generating scuffles in our forces."

Museveni was, however, quick to clarify that the "bad men" are only a handful as vast majority of senior officers are disciplined.

Tinyefuza attack

Though he only mentioned his name once, our sources say Museveni's message included a veiled attack on Gen Tinyefuza, a member of the High Command and formerly coordinator of intelligence, who is reported to be living in the UK since the letter in which he called for an investigation into the alleged assassination plot leaked to the press last month.

The leakage led to the 11-day closure of two media houses, Daily Monitor and Red Pepper, as security officers reportedly searched for related material in their newsrooms.

Commenting on the perceived rapid promotion of his son, Brig Muhoozi, which is reported to have caused Tinyefuza's outburst, the commander-in-chief cited several examples of army officers who became generals at a young age.

Museveni mentioned USSR's Mikhail Tukhachevesky, George Zhukov and Ivan Konev, among others. Tukhachevesky rose to the rank of Field Marshall at the age of 42. The president also mentioned Israel's General Moshe Dayan and assassinated former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

On top of that, he reminded the High Command members that some of the NRA officers had become generals at the age of 28. Indeed the opposition FDC president, Mugisha Muntu, was named major general and army commander at the age of 30.

Army Spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda confirmed the High Command meeting took place, but declined an interview to comment on some of the issues raised.

"In my view, you will be insensitive if you publish such information, those are not issues of public consumption," Ankunda said.

Turning to Brig Muhoozi, head of the Special Forces Command, who Museveni regretted had been turned into a daily issue in the media by "enemies of our struggle", he said he was quite pleased that he had turned out to be a very serious and devoted officer.

The president drew laughter when he said that his judgment shouldn't be underestimated because he spends all his time while awake, and part of his sleeping hours, thinking about Uganda and Africa at large.

The commander-in-chief further revealed that Muhoozi had been instrumental in major army projects such as building commando and paratrooper forces, which had been highly effective in counter-terrorism efforts in Somalia.

"To vilify, demonize, castigate, and harangue in a demented way against such an officer is sickness in a metaphorical sense," he said.

"Even if Muhoozi was a mediocre performer, it would be the duty of the army to defend its member as long as he has done no wrong or mistake."
newseditor@observer.ug