{UAH} BEHIND MUSEVENI'S RESUFFLE OF MILITARY ATTACHES

BEHIND MUSEVENI'S RESUFFLE OF MILITARY ATTACHES

Just a day following dictator Museveni announced his new anti-defiance cabinet, he made a reshuffle of his Military Attaches.  This move served to confirm that his grip on power is dependant on the military as his major power base rather than the formal government structures.  A Military Attaché is a high ranking military officer whom a country posts to another country under its diplomatic mission to act as its representative on military matters.  The other forms of Attachés are Commercial Attaché, Cultural Attaché, etc.

Depending on the sending country's military advancement, Military Attaché observes and gather information on the host country's military for purposes of collecting intelligence of strategic value, liaison services, and updates on corresponding services of host countries.  This implies that the first obligation of a Military Attaché is to develop contact with top level military officers of any host country's army where the military stands out as a powerful political force like is the case with Uganda, military officers emerge as prime intelligence sources and targets.  That is why at one time the Museveni regime got concerned over Gen Oketa's close links with the Military Attaché of a powerful foreign country. For countries with advanced militaries, Military Attaché identify officers of the host country's army who have the political thrust to wield power thus use them in causing regime change by military means.  Totalitarian regimes keep such officers away from the reach of such pray.  That is the reason why Museveni does not assign certain officers to specific positions, undertaking and are victims of selective training abroad.

Museveni uses the position of Military Attaché to retain and keep hold of such officers whom for political reasons he can't deploy into meaningful active military service while at the same time fears to retire.  That way such officers are kept actively and profitably employed thus dissuading them from getting disgruntled and contemplating change of regime.  In some instances, the affected officers coordinate training opportunities, arms procurement, intelligence gathering etc.  To fully appreciate the above argument, you need to take an insight into the profiles of the officers who were affected by the recent reshuffle:

1.  Michael Bossa -  from CMI to CCIT

He is a Muganda and an Engineer.  Joined the NRA in 1986 through the President's Office. Transferred to DMI at Basiima House where he headed the Technical Department while was still a Sgt.  He rose to become an officer until when he was displaced by Gen. Tumukunde in the late 1990 when the later was carrying out a clean up of all senior staff who had served together with the Rwandese when they were still in Uganda and were dominating DMI. Eng Bossa is married to the sister of former M.P Nathan Banyima and she had been Kagame's Secretary at DMI and had continued to serve under Directors.  Both Bossa and his wife were sent packing to the army headquarters in Bombo for reassignment.  years later, Engineer Bossa bounced back to CMI long after Gen Tumukunde had left.  Col. {Eng} Bossa has been the brain behind CMI's surveillance programs.  therefore, his posting to take charge of the entire army's information and communication system is based on his undisputed loyalty.

2.  BRIG. VICTOR TWESIGYE - from CCIT to New Delhi

He is from Kanungu. joined NRA around 1985. served under ISO's Operation Rabit {electronic surveillance of enemy communication system}.  During the Congo expedition, he played a key role in providing the strategic communication to Operation Safe Heaven.  Gen Kaziini picked interest in his role and dissuaded him from returning to ISO by promoting him and putting him in charge of the entire army's communication department.  however, Museveni's intelligence services have always suspected him to be close to former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi.  Therefore, his being sent to India is meant to keep him away from the army and in particular the vital and sensitive military communication network.  His successor, Col. Bossa will be compelled to overhaul the entire department by misplacing the network of officers who have been serving under Brig. Twesigye.

3.  BRIG. STEVEN KASHAKA - from Pretoria to Dar Er Salaam.

He is one of the senior Bush War commanders who spent some time on Katebe {redundant} after he hastily issued Col Besigye a retirement certificate without consulting prompting the later to sneak out of the jaws that are holding Gen. Ssejusa.  Later he was suspended over charges of ghost creation before he was pardoned and posted to South Africa so that he is kept into active and profitable employment.  He renewed his loyalty when he openly became outspoken against Gen. Ssejusa when he fled to exile in 2013.  In return, he was rewarded with his brother who as Permanent Secretary was convicted of stealing billions of shillings from Ministry of Local Government was released from prison on and indefinite bail pending appeal. His transfer to Tanzania is strategic because all importation of our military hardware passes through Dar Er Salaam.  Secondly, with Museveni's push for a defence alliance, Tanzania is a strategic ally.

4.  COL. JOHN KASAIJA

He is from Fortportal and joined the NRA from UNLA around late 1985.  He worked closely with Gen. Saleh while the latter was the Chief of Combat Operations {CCO}where he demonstrated extraordinary skills in field operations.  He rose to become a Major and Assistant Director of Combat Intelligence under DMI at the time Paul Kagame was also a Major in the same department. However, Museveni's intelligence agencies held him in contempt owing to the allegations that he had during the Bush War he had worked closely with the North Korea backed Crack Unit to harass the NRA in the Luwero Triangle.  He was at one time accused by the late Aronda of rising a suspicious Combat Intelligence Squad under Basiima House that comprised of among others then Private Abdul Rugumayo who is now a Colonel just like his former boss. He

5.  Col. Emmanuel Rwashande

He is from Nyabushozi.  He joined the NRA around late 1985.  As junior officer he led the gang of other junior officers to attack the then Army Chief, Gen. Muntu at the funeral vigil of the Col. Kyatuta in Old Kampala in the early 1990s.  They openly accused him of rendering army officers redundant (Katebe) before calling him a Mwiru.  This humiliation with impunity by Junior officers under the protection of Museveni is one of the reasons Gen. Muntu threw in the towels.  He remains in Benjing because of the strategic military interests with China.

6.  Col. Bernard Obola

He is from Nebbi and joined the NRA as a Captain.  He served as Chief Instructor in Kabamba for years training tens of thousands of recruits including now Gen. Wilson Mbadi.  His being moved from Jubba back to Kampala is rendering him of redundant because he was talking the same 'language' with the SPLA--I. O and the LRA.

7.  BRIG. HUDSON MUKASA

A Muganda who was commanding 7th Battalion based at Mbuya in Kampala around 1996 when his unit openly showed support for then Presidential candidate Paul Ssemogerere.  Consequently. 7th Batallion was immediately moved from Kampala and they left while singing: "Ssemwogere gira ofuge Uganda, Museveni Tumukooye' (Ssemogerere prepare to rule Uganda, we are tired of Museveni).   An astute, professional and no nonsense commander, Brig. Hudson Mukasa was since then placed under close scrutiny that led him to Bujumbura as the Military Attaché.  With the proliferation of arms in Burundi and more so the anticipated Museveni's support for the Rwanda backed anti-Nkurunziza rebels, Brig. Mukasa wouldn't be the best choice in Bujumbura.  He can best be contained in the less hostile Nairobi than bringing him back in Kampala.

8.  BRIG.  BURUNDI NYAMUNYWANISA

He is from Kiruhura but married to a Musongora from Kasese.  Joined the NRA in the Bush.  He was in charge of training Congolese militias in Ituri at Kasenyi and Nyalake.  His posting to Kigali from Washington is the most appropriate at a time when the support of Uganda and Rwanda to the Congolese M23 militias is soon resuming and also the Burundi project.

9.  COL. BUTUIRO OCTOVUS

 He is a brother to Chief Justice Bart Katurebe.  He joined the NRA around 1988 under the air force bit ended up at DMI in the early 1990.  A holder of a degree certificate written in Latin, he rose through the ranks to become the Deputy CMI at one time before being displaced by Tumukunde for attachment to IGAAD in Nairobi.  He eventually ended u as a military attaché in Kigali from where he is now being moved to Khartoum for reasons explained under Brig. Burundi Nyamunywanisa.  Being a Mwiru from Bunyaruguru, some missions are strictly restricted to either Hima or Tutsi officers

10.  BRIG. FRED TOLIT

From Mucwini in Kitgum, he commanded the last battles for the control of Kampala around Kololo under the UNLA before he fled to the northern Uganda.   Gem.  Ssejusa picked on then 2lt Tolit to help him in intelligence gathering in the counter insurgency operations in northern Uganda.  He rose to become a Division I.O for northern Uganda before Museveni appointed him the Deputy DMI at Basiima House in the early 1990s.  He was the DMI in charge of LRA insurgency and Southern Sudan SPLA military aid.  Around 1994 he became the full DMI following the NRA passing on of Col Byemaro.   He was displaced by the coming on board of Gen. Tumukunde who renamed DMI as CMI.  He later on became the Chief of Training and Operations before rising to become the Chief of Staff.  In the meantime, he did a degree course at Ndejje University thus graduating from a primary school teacher to a university graduate.  His transfer from Adisababa to Bujumbura is the best decision because he wont be able to establish links with local military and political figures in Burundi unlike in Adisababa where he could interact with a vast number of such people.  Unfortunately, the regime still sees him as a Gen. Ssejusa loyalist. His elevation and assignments were driven by the need to lure the Acholi people and dupe them into supporting Museveni.

11.  COL. DOMINIC TWESIGOMWE

He is from Kabaale and joined the NRA around 1985 as a university graduate.  He served under DMI and CMI become one of the few original DMI officers to have survived Gen

 Tumukunde's purge.  He has been in Nairobi mostly for liaison of counter terrorism operations that diplomatic assignment.  He has been heading a squad of CMI and ISO operatives like the notorious Captain Kamusiime and Coleb Kamgisha.  His transfer to head the Chieftaincy of Integrated Resource Management Information System (CIRMIS) is the best decision because the project is intelligence and political based in that it comprises of the National ID project thus the voters register.

12...   BRIG. MOSES RWAKITARTE

He is from Nya ushozi and a son to Mzee Rwakitarate.  He joined the NRA in late 1985 and saved under DMI at Basiim House in the late 1980s.  He was later attached to the office of the Army Commander during the early 1990s from where he went to India for University education.  From India he was posted to the then PPU as the intelligence officer.  Its from there that he was assigned to command positions under the Muhoozi Project.  He was a rigadier and appointed Chief of Staff of the Airforce before the three choppers crashed in Kenya enrooted to Somalia.  Together with fee. Airforce Chief, Gen. Owoyesigyire, he was suspended but instead as usual he was instead sent for a course in London.  His current posting to Europe is nothing but an assignment to carry out intelligence against the Ugandans in exile there.

13..  For the rest of the affected officers more especially the Baganda ones, their assignments are meant to keep them away from the mainstream military service.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND DEFIANCE IS THE WAY

Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!

Viele GruBe

Robukui

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