The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of Members of Parliament have expressed displeasure over an exchange involving Security Minister Gen. Elly Tumwine and Deputy Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation Lt. Gen. Charles Angina.
The MPs on Thursday told Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga that the exchange captured on video last week humiliated Lt. Gen. Angina who also doubles as the former Deputy Commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
The incident that attracted a bitter exchange from MPs on the floor of parliament happened on 13th December in Muyenga. The two senior army officers had intervened in a land wrangle at Hotel International 2000 between businessman Godfrey Kirumira and Mulago Hospital Surgeon Dr Ben Khingi.
Kirumira had earlier been beaten up by soldiers after Khingi enlisting support from Angina.
Gen. Tumwine visited the disputed and met Lt. Gen. Angina as excavation works continued. A video clip showed Gen. Tumwine intervening and asking Angina why he had engaged in the activity late in the night and not during the day.
“Don’t abuse our forces. Have you heard? Don’t abuse our forces; you and the police. Don’t abuse our forces. We all have disagreements. We don’t use our forces like this. Why not do it during day if it is okay?” Gen. Tumwine is recorded asking Angina who kept responding ‘Yes Sir’.
Elijah Okupa, the Kasilo County MP raised a matter of national importance saying that the manner in which Tumwine humiliated Angina in public needs to be urgently handled by the Commander in Chief Gen. Yoweri Museveni.
He also demanded a statement from the Minister of Defence Adolf Mwesige on the matter adding that Gen. Tumwine’s conduct towards other people even fellow MPs was a matter of concern that should not be ignored.
Before he could finish his submission, UPDF representative Lt. Gen. Pecos Kuteesa raised a point of order saying that Okupa was overstepping his mandate since every institution in the country has procedures under which it operates.
However, Kadaga said that the conduct of any government official is a concern for the country.
He allowed Okupa to continue with his submission. Okupa then said that he is mandated to comment on any matter in the country even when it involved Lt. Gen. Kuteesa.
Bukooli Central MP Solomon Silwany also weighed in saying that the exchange between the two Generals was very unfortunate.
Ngora Woman MP Jacquiline Amongin said that the exchange sent a bad image to the public even though Gen. Tumwine is superior to Lt. Gen Angina. She demanded action be taken by President Yoweri Museveni.
UPDF representative to Parliament Brig. Flavia Byekwaso said that the verbal exchange was unfortunate but also noted that it was not correct for soldiers to be deployed at night amid a land wrangle.
However, Speaker Kadaga said that parliament could not take a position on the matter in the absence of the officers.
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