UPDF’s achievements can’t be watered down 

Ugandans know that when the NRA came into power it was a rebel outfit without shoes, uniforms, poorly armed but with overflowing nationalism and morale. It was able to score victory after victory where others would easily quit and give up. From a rag tag military outfit, to the mighty people’s army today, I think we need to give credit to the men and women of UPDF and its leadership.

That fact that Tegulle tries to belittle the mighty UPDF both at home and on the international scene is mind blowing but also revealing; he freely criticises the army and nothing happens to him. Was that even remotely possible a few decades back? UPDF has proved itself by subduing  internal adversaries and secured Uganda from border to border. This was achieved even when the force was in its infancy stages, something that gives confidence that with gradual professionalisation and involvement in national affairs, there is more value to be reaped by Ugandans.

Recently, during the Anti-Corruption Week, the President noted how daunting a task it is to build a national army like the UPDF in the shortest time that Uganda has done. In less than four decades, UPDF has served Uganda and the neighboring regional countries that have had trouble, interventions that have brought about durable peace.

Before, we blame UPDF for Congo “failures”, let’s first praise same UPDF ushering peace to Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Burundi and Somalia.

Additionally, Tegulle ought to know, that all efforts to have UPDF deployed across government spectrum is for the greater good of Uganda. Civilians who find themselves working with UPDF officers ought to learn from the best, notwithstanding, gross acts attributable to errant, individual officers that do not in any way water down the many great achievements registered.

 And yes, the president has the prerogative to call upon the military’s intervention when he deems it fit. World over, the military is deployed to serve strategic interests of nations in various spheres. The gun totting stereotype of the military is archaic!

Our political analysts can never question the involvement of the American Army across the spectrum; they would rather accuse their own and praise foreign armies that have registered big time failures which has cost those nations trillions of dollars.

Unlike the Kampala elite like Tegulle and company, the local peasants like myself appreciate the effort of the President to instill closer cooperation between the military and police in complementing each other to serve and protect Ugandans. If the likes of Tegulle could conduct free opinion polls on which institution of government is most trusted by Ugandan citizens, they would not spend their precious ink and paper to overly criticise the UPDF. Yes, there is room for improvement but that improvement is built over time. It does not just fall in place as if by miracle charm.

The introduction of UPDF Generals in police helped reshape the mindset and discipline in police, with sober and cool headed Generals like Katumba Wamala, Kale Kayihura, Brig. Sabiiti Muzeyi as Deputy IGP and Lt. Gen. Paul Lokech, may his soul rest in peace. The Uganda Police force has been transformed a great deal.

The UPDF has performed in its functions, notwithstanding a few hiccups, which the president has called bottlenecks. Let’s give them the benefit of doubt. We all know that Uganda’s institutions are still a work in progress. If we are to criticise, let’s do positive criticism rather than sounding as if we are from Mars.

Mr Steven Fredrick Magomu is an analyst. [email protected]