The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Brig. Sande is an NRA bush war veteran. He has occupied many critical positions in the UPDF command and been on many critical missions. He was at one time, for a few days at least, commander of the Ugandan AMISOM contingent in Mogadishu, Somalia. But he has been at the rank of Brigadier since 2013. Meanwhile, his colleagues; like Gen. David Muhoozi, Lt. General Elwelu, Maj. General Paul Lokech have earned promotions.
According to some commentators, being in that position sometimes causes anxiety and frustration in an individual. It may also create self-doubt and lead to overreaction.
According to other commentators, Brig. Sande, could also be suffering from what could be called the “Masaka Armoured Brigade Command Syndrome.” It appears being in command of the Masaka Armoured Brigade causes many officers to get a sense of self-importance and being on the cusp of great things. And it is not only because they sense that they hold the trigger of the biggest guns that the UPDF has. It is also because of history.
Almost all UPDF generals who have risen to greater ranks have had a stint as commander of the Masaka Armoured Brigade. The current CDF, Gen. David Muhoozi, the former late CFD, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, and the late former Army Commander, Maj. General James Kazini all commanded the Masaka Armoured Brigade at one point in their career. Others are the managing director and chief executive officer of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), Lt. Col. James Mugira and even retired Col. Kizza Besigye, who is now a leading opposition politician headed it in 1991.
With that history and expectations on their mind, commanders like Brig. Sande have great expectations. And it is not surprising that they make bold utterances. But what they say also appears to be the doctrine of the ruling NRM.
Following Museveni’s lead
President Museveni himself, in another pre-election year in January 2015, said he is not ready to hand over power to the opposition leaders. He likened them to wolves ready to tear Uganda apart.
“The Opposition are like wolves lurking around to tear Uganda apart. I will not allow them because I have support of the majority of Ugandans and my army,” he said. Museveni who was addressing residents of Rukiga County in Kabale District spoke in a mixture of Runyankore and English.
Gen. Aronda said similar things at the time of the 2011 elections. Just last year, Col. Shaban Bantariza, the government deputy spokesman who died recently, made similar utterances at a retreat of leaders of the NRM. He reportedly said he pities people who think the NRM government would hand over power.
“We would rather go back to the bush,” he reportedly said and added that he had his three guns on standby in his car.
In January, another UPDF soldier at the rank of Captain in Mubende uttered similar statements.
The 2005 UPDF Act prohibits all serving soldiers from participating in partisan or active politics unless they’re retired from the force. Soldiers who violate this provision risk being court martialed and sentenced to a lengthy jail term.
Several UPDF soldiers have pronounced themselves as loyal to the ruling NRM party without being punished. Some openly campaigned for particular candidates in the recently concluded NRM primary elections.
On several occasions, prominent and high ranking UPDF members are seen lambasting and threatening violence on opposition politicians.
Soldiers who have come out to show their support for the political opposition or those that make political statements that criticise the ruling party government are quickly apprehended.
Why are you guys blaming this foot soldier? This barking dog/parrot is speaking exactly what he has heard from his master in private military command meetings. It is a total waste of three pages of analysis expressing shock and surprise when we all know where those words came from.
Ok and perhaps, he should not have made such utterances at a time like this.
But and however, being a noble man, he spoke his mind regardlessly, and ere we jump to judgements and irrecoverable comments, it is important that we weigh what is trending especially with neo-political pressure groups.
Take forexample, the use by some pressure group cum political party, of attire similar to the armed forces, what is it intended to do? What are they insinuating? What are they baying for? What is their message to the masses especially those that are their support? What in history has been of those that have used the same in other parts of the world? How did Che end up whose figurative they portray? Don’t we think that it is provocative especially to the armed forces? Why don’t our academicians weigh on both sides point the danger of such a trend which is seen even by the common man?
It would be very naive to subtract armed forces from politics of especially Africa.
Ours is a home grown and unique setting and so is our history, we must not be oblivious of that. It is hard to hold all matters constant and base on one thing.
Let’s have respect and listen to each and every one and not silence or keep aside what others are saying.
It is what has become.
For God And My Country.
I have never come across any thug, gangster/s or armed robbers who handed over to the victims whatever they have successfully robbed.
In other words, didn’t Mr. M7 himself, in broad-day-light tell the world on 26th January 2017; that Ugandans were mistaken if they thought he went to the bush in 1981 to liberate them?
Verbatim, without blinking even once, Mr. Museveni looked into the eyes of his audience and said:
“I’m not an employee. I hear some people saying that I’m their servant; I’m not a servant of anybody. I’m a freedom fighter. That is why I do what do; I’m fighting for myself, for my belief; that’s how I come in. If anybody thinks you gave me a job, he is deceiving himself. I’m just a freedom fighter whom you thought could help you also.”
It is unfortunate that to date many Ugandans continue to misunderstand Mr. M7 and his NRA/M lingua frank, sic concepts like “fundamental change and “freedom fighter”. If they still do then Brig. Deus Sande have finally told them off in the face.
Philip Magogo, a columnist with the Sunday Monitor once wrote and oratorically asked: “If Crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire; what do freedom fighter fight?”
1. The “Fundamental Change” rhetoric meant: except Mr. M7 the Supreme Guard, there will be no more change of Guards.
2. “Freedom Fighter” rhetoric meant: on capturing power whoever would be advocating for freedom will be viciously fought.
In a nutshell, for 35 and counting, these Mr. M7 and NRA/M are here fighting Ugandans. Didn’t Mr. M7 himself tell the same stupid Ugandans that he has no friends and they clapped? In other words, if someone publicly say that he does not have any friend, it means he only has enemies, hence the doctrine of “fighting”.
Right from the “author and master of violence”, Mr. Museveni himself; Afande Sande is just one of the many shameless criminals who armed robbed the state Uganda and use the euphemism of liberation. For Hell’s sake, these gangsters came to power, robbing banks, stealing food and killing whoever got in their way.
All the signs and phenomena of Ugandans’ freedom being viciously fought by the regime is written allover the sidewalks, streets, highways and byways.
E.g., in a free country/society the government through police is to protect the citizens from criminals; and the military is to defend the citizens from foreign forces. And the Constitution is to protect the citizens from the government.
But in Uganda, where capital offenders (vicious criminals) are the ones who captured powe in 1986; the police and the military are on the side of a criminal regime. Hence whenever Ugandans tried to express their displeasure and/or demand for freedom, they are confronted and being fought left, right and center; with AK47, machine guns and armored personnel carriers, like some invading foreign army.
there is a new wave called kyagulanyi robert sentamu, it is only fools who can not see the kind of panic it has caused to museveni apologists including andrew mwenda