{UAH} NEW MAJOR ALUPO, EDUCATION AND SPORTS MINISTER, YOUR FELLOW HYENAS ARE NOT AMUSED.

As usual, the attention is fixed on "westerners eating" but the manner in why President Yoweri Museveni promoted Education minister Jessica Alupo has also become a talking point.

In January this year, during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) retreat at National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi, promoted Alupo to the rank of Major.

Alupo, who retired from the army in the early 2000s, was donning her pips of a Captain; a very junior rank in the army, when Museveni spotted her.

"How can a minister be a captain?" a surprised Museveni reportedly asked her. The next morning, Alupo turned up as a Major.

Alupo's new rank did not make headlines but it sparked quiet debate in army circles as officers expressed ire over how President Museveni invokes his prerogative in promoting soldiers.

Allegations of favouritism are being made against President Yoweri Museveni and his commanders.

Most of the complaints are made off the record because soldiers are punished for speaking to the press.

Promotions in the UPDF are supposed to be regulated by the UPDF Act and Regulations- Conditions of Service for officers (CS-O).

Regulation 25 (1) of the CS-O notes that "the promotion of an officer shall be recommended by the commanding officer, and the recommendations shall be considered by the Commissions and Promotions Board on three different occasions and shall be within service brackets..."

Under this regulation, an officer can only become a Lieutenant after 12 months of commissioned service, a Captain after five to six years, a Major after 11 to 13 years, and a Lieutenant Colonel after 18 to 20 years, Colonel, after 21 to 23 years.

Sub regulation (2), however, notes that exceptional circumstances may be considered. But being a minister at a rank of Captain cannot be one of the exceptional circumstances envisaged by this law, those querying Alupo's rank say.

Besides, promotions between Lieutenant and Colonel are according to the law, a docket of the commanding officer and the promotions board and not the Commander in Chief (CiC).

President Museveni, who is the CiC, deals only with promotions of officers above the rank of Colonel on the advice of the High Command.

Viele GruBe

Robukui