Gen Sejusa, Kayihura retirement postponed

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gen David Sejusa and former Inspector General of Police, Gen Edward Kale Kayihura may have to wait a little bit longer after their retirement was pushed to next month.

In April, it was reported that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) High Command and Army council had endorsed the retirement of Gen Sejusa and Gen Kayihura.

The media reports indicated that the senior military officers who have for long yarned to be retired from the army were to call it quits early this month. But Uganda Radio Network has learned that the retirement arrangements of the four-star Generals and 74 others with the lowest in rank being a Lieutenant Colonel will be held at a later date next month.

Sources said the change in the retirement program follows the recent amendments in the army top bras payment structure where most of their wages were increased by over 100 percent.

Generals who had been earning slightly above 2 million Shillings will reportedly be earning over 15 million Shillings.

It is said that because the changes in salaries have found the Generals slated for retirement still serving in the force, their packages must be in line with the current wage structure a reason the High Command and Army Council have extended the arrangement.

Deputy Army Spokesperson Lt Col Ronald Kakurungu, said that the retiring officers and their close relatives will be informed once a decision to retire them has been made.

Salary enhancement for senior officers was leaked to the media last week. The decision to raise senior military officers wages was reportedly resolved at a High Command and Army Council meeting held at Entebbe, State House.

Despite declining to confirm the amount of money each senior military officer will be receiving, Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye, who is the Army spokesperson acknowledged that there were salary enhancement options proposed to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development during a high command meeting held on July 06, 2022.

Brig Kulayigye expounded that salary increments proposed to the Ministry of Finance were a result of an earlier High Command meeting held on May 25, that received a proposal from a technical team led by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.

“At the High Command meeting of July 6, the team presented a number of salary enhancement options that had been proposed to the finance ministry. The meeting was informed that eventually a hybrid option of enhancing General Officers salaries by 100%, Senior officers by 50% and Captain to Private by 33% had been agreed upon with the ministry,” Brig Gen Kulayigye explained in his statement three days ago.

It is not yet clear if an agreement was reached for the Generals’ salaries to be increased by only 100 percent.

Another matter that is not yet clear is how Gen Kayihura would be retired when he is still battling charges related to espionage in the General Court Martial. Gen Kayihura was arraigned in military court three months after he had been dropped as IGP. He was accused of arming civilian groups with weapons that were a preserve of the armed forces.

There is also contention on whether Gen Sejusa who fell out with the government he fought to bring in power after his dozier about the ‘Muhoozi Project’ will be accorded the same retirement package. It is also reported that Gen Sejusa has not been earning his salary and other privileges for years and that would mean he must be given all whatever he has not earned before he is officially retired from the forces.

During the retirement of six Generals in 2018, President Yoweri Museveni ordered packages of 650 million Shillings which included 250 million Shillings for buying a house and 400 million for gratuity.

At the time the, Commander-in-Chief gave the 2018 order as was reported by the media, six Major Generals including Ali Kiiza, Kasirye Ggwanga, Hussein Adda, James Ssebaggala, and John Mateeka were retiring. The Brigadier Generals included Jacob Musajjawaza, Yowasi Kiiza, Stephen Othieno, Olanya Ojara, and Mark Kodili Ayiasi.

Lower rank military officers ranging from the rank of Captain to Private are set to retire on July 31. It is not clear whether this plan still stands. The Generals had reportedly been scheduled to retire on July 8 which was last week.

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