By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi
One day in 1976, residents of Nyendo, a down town suburb of the then Masaka Municipality killed a soldier from the nearby Suicide Reconnaissance Mechanised Regiment of Uganda Army.
This was due to indiscipline from some officers and men in the barracks who used to terrorise residents in neighbouring places, annoyed, one night the civilians killed the soldier.
It prompted the then Minister of Defence who also doubled as Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Mustafa Adrisi, to come and address wanainchi. He said that for one soldier to die, 1,000 civilians die.
According to him, the state invested alot in training a soldier and losing one was a national loss. This statement annoyed the already aggrieved people.
Then came the Uganda National Liberation Army. One of their commanders, was the 13th batallion commanding officer Lt.Col.Bazilio Olara Okello, who later rose to Chief of Defence Forces and Lieutenant General.
While addressing residents at Ndeeba, he said that : These are your children. If you have two shirts, give away one. If you have two pairs of trousers, give one. If you have two wives, donate the other.
It was apparent Bazillio attempted to portray UNLA as a people’s army but their character would not support his desire my but its character would not support his desire.
The soldiers from Malire barracks based at Mengo and Makindye Military Police barracks invaded areas of Kibuye, Katwe and others looting every thing including women saying that they were executing Bazilio’s directives.
Yet in 1988, when a National Resistance Army soldier shot dead Mzee Balaba at Ssembabule, a court martial held at the site, found guilty and he was executed at the same site.
Those are good examples that differentiate , NRA now Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), from past armies that were characterised with being anti people.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of Nairobi peace accord in December 1985, the then NRM Interim Chairperson Yoweri Museveni said that “….our people were killed on 1964, our people were killed in 1966, our people were killed in 1969, Amin killed our people from 1971 to 1979, Obote killed our people from 1980 up to 1985, and the Military Council is still killing our people…”
While past armies were characterised with indiscipline including rape, one leader observed that NRA now UPDF soldiers are like nuns.
Past armies also claimed that they were not political. Amin decreed that politics would not be discussed in the barracks. Yet the so called apolitical army supported Obote to overthrow the 1962 Independence Constitution during the 1966 crisis, it later overthrew Obote in 1971 and installed Amin. The UNLA did the same in 1985 and installed Tito Okello.
But NRA now UPDF, though not partisan is political and political commissars are the innovations of NRA while past armies had chaplains but they were irreligious and immoral.
There are however challenges, the nucleus NRA that was recruited and trained on a clean record, had to integrate other armies including UNLA and Uganda Army (UA) other fighting groups like UFM,FEDEMU, UNRF, Holy Spirit Movement,UPA, LRA, ADF among others hence the high record of discipline was comprised in one way or another but even then the strict NRA code of conduct has saved it.
UPDF is now a productive army and in addition to the Engeneering Brigade , Luwero Industries, the Operation Wealth Creation had brought it back to the people this time mobilizing them for production.
In one of the press conferences in 1994 at State House Nakasero, where a journalist wondered why a Uganda’s Presidential jet had been used by Rwanda’s then Vice President and Defence Minister Maj. Gen. Paul Kagame, President Museveni, said that one presidential jet could be shared by all presidents in East Africa. He also said that East Africa states could build a joint air force and a joint navy.
Now that UPDF has excelled in peace keeping and enforcement in other countries like Liberia, Somalia,Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea, and helped countries like Rwanda, DR Congo and South Sudan in their liberation wars, and it plays a leading role in forming an Eastern Brigade of the African Union rapid reaction force, it should be the training ground for our future national leaders. Let us mark the 41st anniversary of Tarehe Sita on 6th February, with not only remembering the 36 patriots with 27 guns commanded by Yoweri Museveni to attack Kabamba School of Infantry in 1981, which sparked the five year bush war, but also ensure that the victory achieved on January 26th 1986 is never reversed. Aluta Continua.
Hajji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a veteran journalist and a Deputy City Resident Commissioner Masaka City.
Contact 256-756/772-836537
Email: hajiahmedkateregga2016@gmail.com
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