HOW DID MUSEVENI UNDERMINE EFFORTS TO BUILD A NEW UGANDA ARMY?

HOW DID MUSEVENI UNDERMINE EFFORTS TO BUILD A NEW UGANDA ARMY?

With the birth of Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLF) in Moshi as an umbrella organisation, the different anti-Amin armed groups were also supposed to unite under the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). After the fall of Iddi Amin, security was manned by the Tanzanian army helped by the UNLA. The UNLA did not have a clearly defined command and control structure. Its two main factions i.e FRONASA and Kikosi Maluum were competing for dominance. Binaisa had made unsuccessful attempts to exert his influence on the army too. On one occasion during the pass out ceremony of Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) at Nakasongola, while inspecting the parrade he would whisper to individual graduands thus "oli Muganda?" (are you a Muganda?).

Finaly, a grand reorganisation of the UNLA was carried out. Museveni's FRONASA was assembled at Mubende under Lt Fred Rubereza and they called themselves the Red Army. Sheif Ali had relinguished command of FRONASA and taken off with the Gang of Four to start a guerilla war. This reorganisation saw Rwandese Refugees being eliminated from the new national army. Fred Rwigyema and company fell victim but Museveni retained them as a private army. Paul Kagame survived the axe because at that time he was attending a military intelligence course in Arush Tanzania. Still not all Rwandese were eliminated because it was not easy to accurately distinguish between Rwandese Tutsis and Himas. The Army's involvement in the current National Identity Card Project is among other objectives designed to cover up for the same Rwandese Tutsis. Earlier on, UPC leaders in Ankole notably Rwakasisi and Rurangaranga had speaheaded a campaign to discourage Ankole Bairu youths from enlisting into Museveni's private army, FRONASA. These two incidents were a major setback for Museveni's efforts to counter balance Kikosi Maluum. 

There had been a nationwide recruitment of Cadet Officers for training in Tanzania. The exercise had attracted quality candidates from all corners of Uganda. The likes of Elly Tumwiine, JJ Odong, Namiti Kagata, Julius Chihandae, Sam Katabarwa, John Kasaija, Clovice Kalyebara, and Many others. This group was to supposed to form the cream of command for the new national army. However, in Tanzania these Cadet trainees were split along the FRONASA and Kikosi Maluum factions of Obote and Museveni respectively. It is a fact that Museveni used to make secret contacts with some of these trainees. The division became visible when the trainees were required to choose a course leader from among themselves. The trainees were split along those for Sam Katabarwa (Museveni's FRONASA) and those for Kagata Namiti (Obote's KM). At the end of the day, Namiti Kagata took the day. This was the first clearer signal that the the stage was being set for a future showdown between Museveni and Obote. It is some of these cadets that Museveni later on used to start the guerilla war. In other security sectors the situation was the same. Some trainees were sent to Cuba for training in intelligence among them Charles Tusiime, the guy who was later to forget a spare tyre when Museveni was launching the guerilla war. The new police force had also attracted quality candidates like Tinyefuza, Jim Muhwezi, Cossy Odomel, Herbert Karugaba and many others but was also faced with the same division. That is why Muhwezi and Tinyefuza later joined Museveni's guerilla war. 

All these manoeuvring by Museveni were being dictated by the political situation in the country. His calculation was that he could only achieve his presidential ambition by military means. Therefore his guerilla war was not precipitated by the alleged rigging of the 1980 elections. Instead it was a pre-arranged move. 

INFORMATION IS POWER.

Viele GruBe

Robukui