Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an
investigation into corruption in the army following an alleged comment
to him by unspecified US officials that the Uganda People's Defence
Force (UPDF) are good fighters but some of their commanders are
“thieves”.
The President, who apparently had earlier received
briefs that water and electricity bills were being inflated, with some
senior commanders also passing on bills from their homes or those of
their relatives to be paid under the military expenditure, was forced to
warn all his army chiefs that he was itching to sack anyone found
stealing military logistics.
Mr Museveni issued the warning two weeks ago at
Singo in Nakaseke District where he had gone to flag off a contingent of
UPDF soldiers going on a peace mission in Somalia under the African
Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).
Before flagging off the contingent, Mr Museveni is
said to have held a meeting with his top commanders whom he reportedly
scolded over reports that logistics in Somalia were stolen.
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Defence
Forces, Gen Katumba Wamala, his deputy Maj Gen Charles Angina and the
Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) boss Brig Charles Bakahumura, among
others.
Report
Brig Bakahumura had earlier written a report to
the President revealing that there had been theft of army logistics in
Somalia. One of the revelations was that an American firm that had won a
contract to work on security roads in Somalia had instead been gifted
with UPDF fuel by commanders who reportedly sought financial rewards.
President Museveni reportedly told his commanders
that “these white people called me that your army is very good but they
are also thieves. I don’t want thieves in this army; any commander who
will condone corruption, I will sack”.
Sources said Mr Museveni told his commanders that he would not tolerate actions that undermine the achievements of the Force.
Strain military budget
The Americans reportedly lauded the dedication of UPDF foot soldiers but hold a grim view of their commanders.
Defence and army spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda
confirmed that the President met the commanders before the ceremony,
saying “I was at the ceremony but I didn’t attend the meeting he had
with the leaders.”
“After that meeting, he emphasised that if anybody
tampers with soldiers’ logistics, he will not walk away with it,” Col
Ankunda said, adding: “We are investigating theft of fuel and food.”
Mr Museveni’s anger reportedly stemmed from the
CMI report that exposed what sources described as massive theft of
logistics and “mistreatment” of soldiers in Somalia. Besides, the
President had also received reports of mismanagement of logistics at the
military training school in Kimaka, Jinja District, including alleged
diversion of resources meant for HIV/Aids affected soldiers.
The CMI discovery of events in Somalia nearly put
Gen Wamala on Museveni’s bad books after it emerged that the former had
reportedly tried to dissuade CMI from probing the misuse of logistics in
Somalia.
Sources said CMI sought permission from Gen Wamala
to travel to Somalia but he allegedly wrote saying the exercise would
strain the military budget and that the logistics involved in Somalia
were foreign. However, CMI carried out the investigation and submitted
the report to Mr Museveni together with Gen Wamala’s letter of
objection.
Efforts to reach Gen Wamala for a comment were in vain as his phone was off by press time.
Col Ankunda said CMI carried out the investigation
and that another investigation is ongoing with a view of prosecuting
anyone found culpable. He, however, said he had not seen Gen Wamala’s
letter to CMI.
“I can’t confirm what was discussed in that
meeting but what I know is that the President expressed his frustrations
at the way some commanders were handling logistics,” he said.
In the meeting, sources say, Mr Museveni directed
that Brig Michael Ondoga and Col Johnson Muhanguzi face court martial
over alleged mismanagement of logistics in Somalia. Mr Museveni
reportedly told the commanders that he had cancelled Brig Ondoga’s
deployment as military attaché to Nairobi.
By the time of cancellation, Brig Ondoga was undergoing diplomatic induction at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the new directive, Mr Museveni has reportedly
tasked CMI to give him a report on how logistics are handled in all army
projects. The construction directorate of the army is said be messy as
well while in Mbuya, some army equipment were reportedly stored in drums
yet money had been allocated for construction of stores.
SOURCE: AFRICAN REVIEW
SOURCE: AFRICAN REVIEW
