UPDF moots policy to see all fit Ugandans serve in the army

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) are working on a policy that will see all able-bodied Ugandans enlisted in national security service.
Gen David Muhoozi, the Chief of Defence Forces, said the army leadership is currently fine-tuning the idea.
“All able- bodied Ugandans are duty-bound to come to service in the security of the country when need arises.” he told a meeting of UPDF officers during the launch of the documentation of reservists in Kampala on Friday.
In the late 1980s, government introduced voluntary quasi-military and political education training (mchakamchaka) at Kyankwanzi, currently, the National Leadership Institute.
However, the countrywide programme was later scaled down after complaints, especially from Opposition political actors, that it was unfairly indoctrinating participants on the Movement ideology against multiparty politics.
But Gen Muhoozi on Friday revisited the split of opinion on the issue.
“There was a thinking that people were being indoctrinated. But there was also an issue of costs. The idea of national security service is still good and non-partisan,” he said.
“We have forwarded documents to the respective authorities and institutions in respect to the fulfillment of this constitutional requirement,” Gen Muhoozi added.
The Constitution makes a duty for any citizen to undergo military training for the defence of the Constitution and protection of country’s territorial integrity.
Article 17(2) of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda says: “It is the duty of all able-bodied citizens to undergo military training for the defence of this Constitution and the protection of the territorial integrity of Uganda whenever called upon to do so; and the State shall ensure that facilities are available for such training.”
National Service, which is undertaken in many countries can either be compulsory or voluntary.
In an interview yesterday, the army spokesperson, Brig Gen Richard Karemire, said the national security service envisioned will be voluntary.
He said the idea is still in infancy and the details of which government authority to take the lead, who qualifies, where the training will be, and for how long have not been concluded.
“We want a policy or framework under which we can operationalise this constitutional duty of a citizen,” Brig Gen Karemire said.
“When you say it a duty of the citizen, it is an obligation and doesn’t necessary mean it is compulsory,” he added.It was not immediately clear when the policy would be implemented.
In countries such as Burundi, Eritrea, Cape Verde, Chad, Brazil, Israel, Switzerland, South Korea and Syria, national service is compulsory.
In Burundi, although voluntary military service was introduced in 1996, legislation made it compulsory in 1997, with service period of one year for both male and female as they graduate from high school.
In Switzerland, military service is compulsory for men between the ages of 18 and 34 while in Eritrea, all unmarried men and women do 18 months.
In Israel, men serve in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) for three years and women for about two years while in Cuba, men aged between 17 and 28 must serve for two years.
At the Friday function, Gen Muhoozi launched a countrywide documentation of reservists in a bid to build the UPDF Reserve Forces into a fully-fledged service force.
The army boss told the meeting that there is need for “patriotism rather than joining the army for employment.”
He said fronting payment, comfortable accommodation and other benefits is the wrong formula for building a strong national army.
“Our centre of gravity is force consciousness. That is what distinguishes the UPDF from other armies,” he said.
The registration of the reservists will be coordinated by the Resident District Commissioners, Reserve Force commanders, police commanders, Internal Security Officers, Local Councils and the coordinators of the former crime preventers.
The Commander of the Reserve Force, Lt Gen Charles Otema Awany, said eligible persons for registration are honourably retired officers and discharged militants of the UPDF and members of its auxiliary forces.
Lt Gen Otema said those eligible to be reservists must be disciplined Ugandan citizens with no criminal records.
“The militants must not be more than 50 years of age and 60 years for Officers,” he said.
Col Fred Bogere, a retired UPDF officer and now a lawyer, said the programme is good for country if it is not turned into a political tool.
“It reduces the costs of managing security and inculcates nationalism. But the problem comes if it’s looked at with a political lens,” he said.
Col Bogere, who was the UPDF army representative in 6th Parliament and former army political commissar, was in 2003 praised for abstaining from voting on the lifting of the Presidential term limits.
He said together with Gen Kale Kayihura, Brig George Igumba, and Brig Gowa Kasita, they have been to Israel to study how the compulsory national military service works.
Col Bogere said members of National Service play a big role in case a country is attacked or if there is a national disaster.
Mr Norbert Mao, the Democratic Party president, said it is good if it is not partisan.
“It is the duty of every citizen to protect and defend their country,” he said.