{UAH} MILITARY INDISCIPLINE

Fellow Ugandans,

As investigations are ongoing into the filmed circumstances of the incident where a traffic policewoman is being slapped and manhandled by two soldiers and their boss simply for doing her rightful work, let me try to clarify one thing here for those who are wallowing in substandards and are therefore not able to see it. The internationally known role of the Military Police (those we see wearing red berets in Uganda) is to police the military. Period.
They have no mandate on handling traffic police, nor do they have any mandate in interacting with the civilian population. They also do not have any duties as VIP security/bodyguards.
And just as there is no excuse for police brutality against journalists and the people of Uganda, there is also no excuse for army brutality against the police, against journalists, or against the people.
So why is the Military Police out there engaged in all these crimes?
The Ugandan military should stay completely out of the Ugandan public space. In fact, the standard military procedure worldwide is that any soldier in uniform in a public space should actually be immediately arrested by the Military Police, and tasked to show documentation (usually a signed movement pass) which authorizes them to be in a particular public location, for what purpose, and for how long.
The only time the public should see the military in uniform in their midst is when units are being transported from one military location to another, or during parades and such solemn public functions including community service.
But at a political and ideological level, the people of Uganda need a military that knows it exclusively serves them, the people. And defends them, the people.
If need be the actual meaning of the words "Peoples Defence Force'" should be translated to all soldiers in Swahili (and possibly also their other mother tongues) so that every one in society clearly understands in their subconscious the sole duty of the military in this country. To defend the people against all forms of aggression, including against aggression where politicians try to use the very military for their own selfish purposes, like to oppress their political opponents, the representatives of the people, and to oppress the people themselves.
I repeat, the military should stay completely out of the public space lest they are coerced by political superiors to abuse their role, and are thereby used to infringe on peoples rights, freedoms and legitimate duties as was the case in the viral traffic incident yesterday, but even more worryingly, the case of a female Justice who chairs a national commission of inquiry being stopped live on television barely two weeks ago, by one soldier who prevented her and her judicial entourage from conducting a field inspection of a questionable property in litigation.
People in so-called "high places" are using innocent foot soldiers with impunity to commit crimes including summary obstruction of justice.
Fellow citizens. Uganda needs to progress today. Not in 30 cronyist, corrupt, nepotist years.

By Mr. Hussein Lumumba Amin
25th February 2019
Kampala, Uganda

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