AFRICA: Taking stock of Museveni's "mobilisation" efforts against Rwanda

TAKING STOCK OF MUSEVENI'S "MOBILISATION" EFFORTS AGAINST RWANDA

“Those who want to destabilize our country do not know our capacity. It is very big. Once we mobilise, you can’t survive,”
Museveni in Mukono on March 3, 2019.

He presided over the pass out of 6,000+ paramilitary LDU personnel at Kaweweta.

On March 15, 2019 he hosted 125 leaders from the exclusively Banyarwanda district of Kisoro which borders with Rwanda. He donated 130 million shillings to their local women and youth SACCOS groups. In their memorandum, they pledged continued support to Museveni. The predominantly ethnic Hutu population of Kisoro is a major stakeholder in the ongoing diplomatic fallout. Kisoro's strongman, Philemon Mateke is allegedly In-charge of linking the dissident Rwandan FDRL with the Museveni regime. Geographically, Kisoro is also expected to act as the reception point of the highly anticipated fleeing Rwandans.

On March 16, 2019 he sent a special envoy, Foreign Affairs Minister Kuteesa to Tanzania's President Magufuli. This followed Rwanda's President Kagame's three day working visit to Tanzania a week earlier.

On March 23, 2019 he hosted DRC's President, Tsikedi in Kampala for a one day visit.

On March 26, 2019 he started a two days visit to Kenya where he took a train journey from Mombasa to Nairobi. 

On April 4, 2019 he hosted South Sudan's President Kiir in Kampala. 

 
All the three Presidents are key allies in the regional economic and security balance of power.

Museveni must also be running a scheme to entice some Rwandans to flee to Uganda. So far, a total of 40 Rwandans riding in four hired vans were recently intercepted by Police in Kasese. They claimed to have left Rwanda in search of casual labour before they were handed over to the Immigration Services for further management. Shortly after, seven Rwandans including women and children reportedly fled to Kisoro from where they sought asylum. They claimed to flee "unbearable conditions" and the fear for rising border tension between the two countries.

On April 2, an American tourist was kidnapped in Queen Elizabeth National Park but five days later on April 7th she resurfaced unharmed. The regime is tight lipped with the circumstances of this kidnap but it has allowed agents of one of Rwanda's dissident groups to link the kidnap to Rwanda. The regime had intended to gain some capital from the incident but unfortunately, the USA seems not to buy the kidnap scheme.

On March 22, 2019 he launched his countrywide tour of all army barracks by visiting the 1st Division at Kakiri. A statement from State House said that he was "to interact with officers over their welfare issues, including housing and education for their children."

The ongoing tour has so far taken him to the 3rd Infantry Division in Karamoja, 4th Infantry Division in Gulu, 5th Infantry Division in Pader, 2nd Infantry Division in Mbarara, Armoured Brigade in Masaka and Military Police in Kampala. In all those visits his message is about readiness to defend the sovereignty of Uganda. He is giving soldiers empty promises of improved welfare for them and their families.

He claimed that government has set aside US $300M for construction of 30,000 housing units for all soldiers. He even promised building of a University for soldiers' children. In all the barracks he has been donating 100M shillings to soldiers' spouses SACCO. In Mbarara, he promised legal aid and Surveyors to help soldiers on matters of their private legal disputes mostly involving land.

This week, the Minister of Defence led a team to the parliamentary committee on Defence and Internal Affairs for presentation of the Ministerial policy statement. The team presented a 3.4 trillion shillings budget proposal. Earlier a Budget Proposal of for the financial year 2019/2020, 1.5 trillion shillings had been approved as presented in the Budget Framework Paper. When some committee members questioned the sudden increase by 1.9 trillion shillings, the Minister of Defence stated that cabinet had consented after considering "internal and external threats."

The Minister went ahead to disclose that the army intended to recruit 3,000 soldiers and 10,000 LDUs. 

 
In the coming budget, the Defence budget is UGX3.5 trillion of which wage has been allocated UGX519.5b, recurrent is UGX642.9b, development is 1.98 trillion, while external financing is UGX362.9b.

It is this extra 1.9 trillion shillings that is meant to cater for the THREAT EITHER TO OR FROM Rwanda?

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM