Why Among led Muhoozi on a merry dance in Teso

If he eventually meets with success, critics say Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba will also have run for office in violation of Uganda’s supreme law, and yet, ironically, one of the oaths he must swear is to protect the nation’s Constitution. 

Yesterday evening, Shadow minister of defence Jonathan Odur wondered why the army is playing double standards in failing to rein in the General for what may amount to a service offence. 

Gen Kainerugaba, who is a senior presidential advisor on special operations, arrived in the far eastern district of Soroti, Teso Sub-region at the weekend on the latest leg of a well-oiled campaign. Little expense was spared in putting on quite a show as large sums of money were doled out amid a lot of merrymaking and fanfare. 

And just as he has done elsewhere, the First Son addressed public rallies, consulted with the people; and was ultimately handed culturally symbolic ‘instruments of power’ by area notables, not least Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. 

Although the law bars serving military personnel from dabbling in partisan politics, Gen Kainerugaba proceeds regardless. Mr Odur said the inaction by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) can only further entrench a culture of indiscipline and impunity. 

“The action by Gen Muhoozi is undermining the sanctity of the Constitution and the Army Code of Conduct. When I presented my alternative policy statement, one of the issues I raised was professionalisation of the army in the real sense … Going by that, by now Gen Muhoozi should have been imprisoned, disciplined or punished,” he said. 

Years ago, the army was not as tolerant, coming down very hard on other senior officers who similarly broke the law -- a memory Mr Odur reflected upon, noting that “we have seen in the past people like [retired Colonel] Dr Kizza Besigye, Gen David Sejusa, Gen Henry Tumukunde sanctioned because of what UPDF said was indiscipline. So, why not Gen Muhoozi”. 

But a military spokesman yesterday said they cannot comment on the political activities of the General. 

“Issues to do with Gen Muhoozi, we don’t comment because he is a presidential advisor. All the presidential advisors are handled by the President and so if you want any comment, that is where to direct them,” Col Deo Akiiki, the deputy army spokesperson, told Daily Monitor. 

Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda was unavailable for comment.
 
What the law says
Article 208 of the Constitution says the UPDF “shall be nonpartisan, national in character, patriotic, professional, disciplined, productive and subordinate to the civilian authority as established under this Constitution”. 

The law under which the national army was established; the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act, 2005, as amended, says in Section 37(1) that “… no officer or militant on continuing full time military service shall engage in any civil employment or undertaking which is or is likely to be detrimental to the interests of the defence forces; reflects or is likely to reflect discredit upon the defence forces”. 

One exception to the restriction is when an officer or a militant is on leave immediately preceding release; or on leave without pay. Any such officer or militant shall still not engage in a civil employment or undertaking that reflects or is likely to reflect discredit upon the defence forces. 

Politicians such as Mr Odur and other pundits have repeatedly reflected upon these provisions of the law in questioning what Gen Kainerugaba is doing. The MP also drew attention to the dilemma facing Uganda’s political Opposition: they can no longer effectively mobilise due to the heavy-handed interference of the security forces, yet well-connected people are left to campaign freely, or even illegally. 

“This is very wrong. We have seen the National Unity Platform stopped from mobilising in West Nile. At some point we saw FDC [Forum for Democratic Change] also barred from mobilising and yet you allow a serving army officer to engage in partisan politics…,” he said. 

Another law the President’s son is potentially breaking is one which regulates electioneering activities. 

Under it, Uganda’s Electoral Commission is supposed to organise free and fair presidential elections. Among the rules provided for in Section 3(1) and (2) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005, a presidential aspirant can consult the people. 

It states: “An aspirant may consult in preparation for his or her nomination as a presidential candidate within 12 months before the nomination date. While consulting under sub-section (1), a presidential aspirant may carry out nationwide consultations… through lawful means… after notifying the EC.” 

It is not clear whether Gen Kainerugaba has notified the EC as the commission spokesman, Mr Paul Bukenya, never answered his phone. What is certain is that we are not anywhere near 12 months to the 2026 presidential election.
 
Inside Teso tour
His pivot into Teso on Monday with Speaker Among by his side is telling nonetheless. A day earlier, Ms Among had hosted a large gathering of MPs and constituents at her plush countryside home in Bukedea District.

To some, this was another statement that the sub-region, which was once dominated by the Opposition FDC, whose currently embattled president, Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat calls home, will again be a political battleground. 

In the 2021 elections, majority of the FDC members were ousted, save for the party vice president for eastern Uganda, Ms Anna Adeke Ebaju, who was returned as Soroti Woman MP; her Soroti municipality counterpart Ms Joan Acom Alobo and a few others. 

The ruling National Resistance Movement party is accused of having orchestrated the downfall of Opposition candidates here using a potent mix of armed violence and outright ballot theft. 

An example of their bloody handiwork was on show again in the discredited June 14 by-election for Bukedea District chairman. Reports from the area detailed the extreme violence visited upon opposition candidates and blatant ballot stuffing. 

Within days, President Museveni ordered investigations and a number of officials were arrested and charged in court. The candidate declared ‘winner’ by the EC, Ms Mary Akol, is said to be Ms Among’s protégé. 

So, when the Speaker hosted her guests in her palatial home in the poverty-stricken Kamutur Sub-county, the very opulence was seen by some to be a cleansing ceremony. 

However, Okodan Akwap, a former journalist and son of the soil who is now associate consultant at Uganda Management Institute, said the Bukedea LC5 by-election was small stuff. 

He said Ms Among knows “Teso is the lowest hanging fruit for Muhoozi to pick”. After suffering through the insurgencies of the late 1980s and the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the mid-2000s, Teso “is tired of bloodshed”. 

The very sad memory of brutal and armed cattle rustling which impoverished and laid waste to this once rich and proud pastoral community, together with the horrors of the Mukura train massacre is still alive here. 

On July 11, 1989, at least 60 boys and men died of suffocation and hunger at Okungulo Railway Station in Mukura, Ngora District (former Kumi). They were stuffed into train wagons by government NRM soldiers. Fires were then lit under the wagons. They died a horrific death. 

“Those who took the cattle knew what they were doing, which the current government is riding on by fictitiously trying to give Iteso something to eat (political appointments); to appease them to lessen their hunger and thirst,” he said.

“If Muhoozi finally comes out winner, he will pick up from the good foundation of the father, and that’s why some people are positioning themselves around him,” Okodan reasoned. 

The General swung by Bukedea to a very warm welcome before riding into Soroti. 

“You are most welcome to Bukedea,” Ms Among said to him. “For us in Bukedea here we believe in the holy trinity; in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. We are happy to receive the son; we received the father. And when you have these members of Parliament, you have the whole country.” 

She then happily handed to him Iteso cultural regalia, consisting of a traditional stool, spear, and shield. It was the crowning moment to boot. 

“President Museveni was given olubengo (the grinding stone) which served as a campaigning tool/slogan for President Museveni in the 1996 election from here. Now, the old men want to give you a chair to sit on. They are saying that before you sit, you must guard this chair very well. Because they believe in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit,”  Ms Among said.

“When it reaches the son, you will protect the chair. They are saying they love you so much and [want you to] keep the chair. They will support you and they are there for you … tell Mzee (the President) that the people love him,”  Ms Among added.

The General did not say much, briefly indicating that he was “excited to be back in Teso. I was here in 2003 when the LRA invaded Teso. I was in Soroti for six months, so I know this place and it’s my home and I thank you for this warm welcome”. 

“I have come here to greet you. We have programmes in Soroti. Today, we have a football match with youth, then merrymaking with my Teso people, then tomorrow we shall have our baraza (public dialogue),”  he said.

Mr George William Alloch, a founding member of Iteso Cultural Union, however, was not happy with the Speaker. 

“In terms of politics, it was premature. He is not the declared leader to be bestowed on that authority… they should at least have handed him one item; either spear or stool but not all.” 

Either way, Ms Among is playing ball.
 
Foundation
"If Muhoozi finally comes out winner, he will pick up from the good foundation of the father, and that’s why some people are positioning themselves around him,” Dr Okodan Akwap,  former journalist