UGANDA: FOCUS ON MUSEVENI ARMY'S CHIEFTANCY OF POLITICAL COMMISSARIAT (CPC)

 

NOTE by the Editor: This post likely has some errors. We will fix them after the pandemic. Come on, I am doing second year university essays, quizes and exams because the kids are now learning from home!!  And given that I recently lost my job, I cannot afford an editor. Bizibu. MARTHA LEAH NANGALAMA

By CHANGE OF GUARDS

The idea of having specially prepared cadres within the armed forces who are ideologically faithful to the political status quo was initially developed by the Soviet Red Army, the NAZI and China's PLA.  Since the army was identified as the vanguard of the respective socialist revolutions, the single party ruling oligarchs found it prudent to identify and groom cadres that would head the party cells within the military.  A cadre development program is initiated to build a team of competent administrators in the pursuit of socialist/Communist ideals.  

At independence, Uganda adopted the British mode of military organization which does not have the Politcal Commissariat component in it's structures.  The post independence Uganda Army (UA) that served the Obote I and Iddi Amin governments (1962 - 1979) did not have the Political Commissariat department.  Following the ouster of Iddi Amin in 1979 by the Tanzanian army, the new national army UNLA adopted the Political Commissariat component in it's structures.  Political education was adopted in bthe education carricculum at 'O' Level.  Infact, Museveni who was the leader of the FRONASA faction that merged with Kikosi Malum of Obote to form the UNLA had been the overall Political Commissar (PC) during the six months military campaign that ousted Iddi Amin.  He became the Minister of Defence and before being incorporated into UNLA, his FRONASA faction that had assembled at Kabamba called itself the Red Army.  Within the government army UNLA, the idea of politcal commissariat was not very pronounced and was simply referred to as Political Education department and was more to do with civil military relations.  

Museveni's army has a department called Chieftancy of Politcal Commissariat headed by the Chief Political Commissar (CPC).  The department traces it's origin from his Bush War where it was one of the core entities.  The Political Commissariat (PC) was responsible for brainwashing and indoctrination of the fighters and was dubbed political education.  It's sylabus was specially designed to inculcate communist/socialist ideals into the fighters.  Since it was during the Cold War era, the west was portrayed as  imperialialists, neo-colonialists, exploiters etc.  That is why the NRA camps were named after communists like Nkurumah,  Nasser and Mondlane. The political history of Uganda was distorted to create an impression that past leadership were monstrous.  Special emphasis was on personal loyalty to Museveni who was portrayed as being superhuman.  The educated fighters were subjected to a mandatory attendance of Cadre Development Cources that produced Political Commissars (PC).  Upon graduation the cadres would take up different roles like command, intelligence and Political Commissars (PCs).  The PCs were deployed in different units of the NRA and tasked with politcal brainwashing and indoctrination of the ordinary fighters.  The PCs were headed by the Chief Political Commissar (CPC).  

During the NRA interim period (August 1985 - January 1986), the NRA School of Poilitical Education (SOPE) was established at Kabukero in Kasese.  It was manned by Mushega who was the CPC and assisted by Alphonse Furuma, Rutaisire, Ondoga Ori Amaza, Roland Katunguka.  Shortly after, the likes of Noble Mayombo, Shaban Bantariza and Kajabago Karusoke among others were incorporated as lecturers.  It's core mandate was to train cadres who would take up different administrative and command roles.  The advanced cadre course was referred to as the Workshop.  Around the same time, the indoctrination of civilians dubbed MchakaMchaka in the liberated zone was assigned to the Political leadership then under Moses Kigongo.  A political school was established first in Mugusu and later relocated to Kiijura Tea Estate under the likes if Kakoza Mutate, Anthony Angwa, Mukwaya, Henry Masiko and others.  Upon taking power, the NRA SOPE relocated from Kasese to Entebbe while the civilian SOPE relocated to Namugongo.  Mushega who was the then NRA CPC also doubled as the Minister of State for Defence (MSD).  Some NRA cadres were assigned civil adminstrative positions in different parts of the country. The political indoctrination was extended to the members of the others armies who had joined hands with the NRA.  Kiburara Prisons, Nabisojjo and Muhoti Barracks that were hostility these Bipingamizi (counterrevolutionaries) received special attention.   

Within a few years after coming into power, the credibility of the Political Commissariat (PC) was undermined by the conduct of top NRA cadres and Commanders more especially with regard to accumulation of personal wealth at the expense of the ordinary soldier.  The appointment of Mugisha Muntu to replace Mushega as CPC in the late 1980s did not help the situation.  By mid 1990s, there was total breakdown and loss of confidence with regard to political education.  The ordinary soldiers who had all along polularly identified politcal education as Siasa (politics),  changed tone and regarded it as a means of deceiving them into submission while they are being exploited by the few and the situation remains the same to this day.  With the introduction of multiparty political dispensation, the civilian politcal school which had been statutory creature of the Movement Act andbits MchakaMchaka was disbanded.  Instead, it was tactictifully renamed National Leadership Institute (NALI) at Kyankwanzi and is run by the army and Brig. kasura is the Director.  Within the army the PC department has evolved under the leadership of different individuals commanders, Gen. Jeje Odong, Sserwanga Lwanga, Gen. Rusoke, Gen. Kalekyezi, Brig. Felix Kulaigye and not Gen. Henry Masiko.  It has expanded to include the National Patriotism Clubs Secretariat that is under Brig. Patrick Mwesigye and charged with indoctrination of the youth in schools.  

In the same regard, as part of the militarisation agenda of the Uganda Police, a Politcal Commissariat department was introduced and is currently headed by Asante Kasingye and comprised of officers like Emilie Kayima.  Police personnel undergo cadre development training at the NALI.  In both the army and the police, the PC unit is charged with civil-military relations and that is why their information units fall under the same.  Therefore, in both the police and the army, it's is the PC that is charged with poisoning the minds of the personnel through communist political indoctrination.  It's for this reason that the army's Chief Political Commissar is taking a lead in whitewashing the recent heinous sins of the institution.  Therefore, why should anyone be surprised by the partisan statements and threats issued by senior security personnel!!!! They are the vanguard's of the revolution and the revolution is them; anyone attempting to challenge their hold on power has to be fiercely resisted.  

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM