UGANDA: Museveni moves to dupe UPDF in his 'mobilization' drive

MUSEVENI MOVES TO DUPE THE UPDF IN HIS 'MOBILIZATION' DRIVE
"Those who want to destabilize our country do not know our capacity. Once we mobilize, you can’t survive."
       Museveni - addressing Investors in Mukono early this month.

Museveni has embarked on a nation-wide on-spot working visits to UPDF Barracks across Uganda.  On Friday he addressed officers and men of the First Infantry Division at Kakiri Barracks in Wakiso District.  Sources said his trip saw him interact with officers and men over their welfare issues including Housing, Education for their Children, Health facilities at stations and income-generating activities for the wives of soldiers.  He first met Platoon commanders, Company Commanders, Battalion Commanders and Brigade commanders separately, later held a combined meeting with all officers and men.

In his address, he said the UPDF must know its historical mission and the ideology of the revolution.
“I have come to check on the units and the service they extend to our people in terms of security. We want politics of patriotism. It will help give us a bigger market than regional groups. Without African integration, the common market of East Africa and Africa, there can never be prosperity. We are lagging behind in science and technology and we must push for political and economic integration. Uganda cannot survive alone in a modern age."

He promised improvement in education for the Soldiers' children, housing before announcing a donation of Shs 100million to the SACCO of wives of soldiers involved in income generating activities.

Right from the Bush days, Museveni didn't care about the welfare of ordinary soldiers.  He only cares for the wellbeing of the officer corps at the expense of the exploited foot soldiers.  During the early stages of his Bush War, Dr. Besigye raised the issue of neglecting the wellbeing of ordinary soldiers and Museveni responded by accusing him of inciting a mutiny.

Upon coming to power in 1986, he took to State House while his top commanders took residenctial areas of the city.  The ordinary soldier was left to suffer in the grass thatched (Mama Ingia Pole) and dilapidated structures.  The ordinary soldiers were told that their welfare would improve once the national economy has improved.

It is these very ordinary soldiers who have braved Museveni's imperialistic wars in DRC, Rwanda, Sudan and CAR.  In the process they have been compelled to facilitate and witness the self enrichment by their top commanders from both the national coffers and spoils of external wars of aggression.  The ordinary soldiers have been used in guarding the investments, grabbed land and looted resources by the 'privileged' top commanders. In order to buy their loyalty, Museveni deliberately kept a blind eye and deaf ear on the thieving by his top commanders.  Above all, the ordinary soldiers have been used in brutally suppressing political dissent by oppressed citizens.

In the meantime, Museveni was preoccupied with building his elite Special Forces Command (SFC) under the command of his son.  The SFC, as an autonomous entity that does not fall under the Ministry of Defence structure, has a well facilitated recruitment, training, logistical and general welfare infrastructure.  The welfare of the UPDF was left to the Somalia Peace Keeping Mission (AMISOM) where the army has served since 2007.

The ordinary soldier not only pays heavy bribes to be selected to serve under AMISOM but his pay is deducted by the top leadership.  For some who have not had the chance to serve under the AMISOM, theft, extortion, hiring out arms to robbers, selling of guns and ammunitions, and for others, armed robberies have been their source of welfare.

The army veterans whose wellbeing is in an appalling mode have been the major victims of Museveni's total neglect of ordinary soldiers.  Look at the most recent case of a discarded soldier, Cpl Mugimba who went to the opposition M.P, Hon. Namboze seeking welfare assistance.  He lost his leg in Museveni's military adventure in CAR and has been totally neglected.  The payment of pension and gratuity for former soldiers has been a conduit for swindling of public coffers. Even the ongoing so-called verification of army veterans for payment of 500b is just another round of a hoax meant to hoodwink them.

In designing the SFC, Museveni had schemed to counter any potential uprising from the rest of the army in form of a military coup.  He did not envisage a situation where he would face a threat of an all out military invasion from a neighboring country like Rwanda where he would need massive deployment.  He knew that he had taken care of that through his much cherished military alliance under the EAC.

Therefore, by conducting a countrywide tour of all the military units, the first time in his 33 years as Commander-In-Chief, Museveni is attempting to win over the loyalty of the ordinary foot soldiers.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM
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