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UPDF to retire 11 Generals
Honoured. Maj Gen Hussein Adda (2nd right) is joined by his wife, Ms Agnes Adda and the deputy commander Defence Forces, Lt Gen Wilson Mbadi, to cut a cake during his send-off party at Bombo Barracks yesterday. PHOTO BY DAN WANDERA.
What you need to know:
- Precedent. This will be the first retirement function where the army retires this number of Generals at a go.
Bombo. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) will on Monday retire 11 army officers between the rank of Brigadier and Major General.
It will be the first retirement function where the army retires this number of Generals at a go.
The Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Wilson Mbadi, who was yesterday the Chief Guest at the send-off party of Maj Gen Hussein Adda, the longest serving UPDF General, said six Brigadiers and five Major Generals will retire on Monday.
“We are retiring 11 officers to demystify reports that we don’t retire senior officers,” he said without naming them.
Some army officers, including Gen David Sejusa, have been applying to retire from the army but the army leadership turned down his plea. He petitioned the High Court, which last year declared him to have been constructively discharged from the army.
Those to retire
According to sources, some of those officers to be retired other than Maj Gen Adda, include Brig Yowasi Kizza, Maj Gen Kasirye Gwanga, Maj Gen Joshua Masaba, Maj Gen James Ssebagala.
Maj Gen Adda has been serving as Camp Commandant of Bombo Barracks since 1997. He was praised by Lt Gen Mbadi and the Commander of Land Forces, Maj Gen Peter Elwelu, for “diligent service” to the country. He has served the army for 55 years.
“He has been a dedicated officer, who I believe has groomed a replacement,” Lt Gen Mbadi said.
In his speech, Maj Gen Adda said he was retiring a satisfied officer.
“I’m retiring satisfied and I want to assure the people of Bombo that the army will continue working closely with them. Don’t feel sad because I am leaving,” he said.
Maj Gen Adda, according to Maj Gen Elwelu, has been “a strong link” between the UPDF and Bombo town residents.
The Mayor of Bombo Town, Mr Uthman Karim, cited one incident when Maj Gen Adda calmed angry residents who had carried the body of a girl, who was allegedly raped and killed by a soldier to the barracks gate.
“He calmly talked and convinced them that the person who killed the girl was not a soldier. But again, with the guns around him, he would have used force to disperse the angry residents. But he chose to talk to them,” the mayor said.
