On July 3, 1997, the budding Crusader newspaper broke a story of how the President’s son, Brigadier Muhoozi Kainerugaba, had recruited a coterie of fresh graduates from Makerere University to join the army. The Muhoozi recruits, about 100 in number, were supposed to train at Kasenyi on the shores of Lake Victoria and “evolve into an elite presidential guard”. Within years, the Presidential Guard Brigade was indeed formed, although Muhoozi’s role in it was mentioned in whispers. It was when it became the Special Forces Group in 2010, that the president’s son seemed to come to the fore. When it was reported, lawmakers in the Sixth Parliament raised still flak to Muhoozi’s recruitment drive. The First Son had just completed his studies at Nottingham University in the United Kingdom, and had no military background. The issue became so combustible in the House that a lawmaker for Bufumbira East, Eddie Kwizera, suggested that Muhoozi be arrested. “If Muhoozi is recruiting and training the army, then he is violating the Constitution. He should be arrested and charged,” Kwizera retorted, adding: “To raise an army, you must be authorized. Who authorized Muhoozi? If it is the president, he violated the constitution”. Then junior Defence minister, Amama Mbabazi, told the plenary in August of 1997 that Muhoozi was not recruiting on behalf of the army, but for another quasi-military outfit, the Local Defence Unit (LDU). “People have been encouraged to carry out recruitment of LDUs. Government is ready to facilitate you to help train cadres,” said Mbabazi, who had been put on the spot. Museveni had earlier on, during a news conference, defended his son’s activities. “He did so with my knowledge. I see nothing with that,” Museveni said. At the briefing, Museveni said it would be erroneous for people to refer to Muhoozi as a soldier, equating him to an LDU (Local Defence Unit personnel). MPs, however, said Museveni and Mbabazi’s arguments were flawed. Firebrand Norbert Mao, then Gulu municipality MP, said the recruitment was dubious, illegal and unacceptable. “He is only entitled to recruit a boy’s brigade as an NGO, but not a national army,” Mao said. Today, most of Muhoozi’s acolytes not only occupy the high echelons of the Special Forces Command (SFC); they are also represent the future of the UPDF. Muhoozi, in September 2001, graduated at the Gadaffi school of Infantry as a second lieutenant in the Sixth Intake and was handed an army number, R08643. Today, he sits at the apex of the recently restructured SFC, which is now divided into Special Forces One and Special Forces Two. Special Forces One, handling VIP protection, will be under the command of Col Sabiiti Magyenyi Mzee, while Special Forces Two, consisting of the motorised infantry, will be under Maj Don Nabasa. In January 2012, The Observer carried a story underscoring a shift in the balance of power of an army, which for long spells was held hostage by the Luwero bush-struggle camaraderie. According to the power dynamics, three groups today represent the future of the UPDF, shoving out the old guard in a latent power struggle. The first is the group that joined in 1985. It includes the late former Defence ministry permanent secretary, Brig Noble Mayombo; the head of the Luweero army industry, Brig James Mugira; Brig David Muhoozi, who is in charge of the Air Defence Unit in Nakasongola; and Air-force Chief of Staff, Brig Moses Rwakitarate. Beyond the 1985 group, the other young generation strategically placed in sensitive army positions consists of Brig Paul Lokech, who is currently heading Uganda’s AMISOM contingent in Somalia and Brig Charles Bakahumura, the new CMI head. It also includes: Col Dick Olum, who is heading the Military Police; Col Godfrey Golooba, who headed the second UPDF AMISOM contingent; and Col Emmanuel Kazahura, administrative officer at the Senior Staff and Command College, Kimaka. Others are: Lt Col James Birungi, head of artillery in UPDF; Lt Col Henry Isoke, former head of counterintelligence at CMI and now AMISOM intelligence officer; Lt Col Michael Nyarwa, head of the UPDF Marine Unit; and Lt Col Godwin Karugaba, deputy chief of Logistics and Engineering. This list of other strategically placed soldiers also includes: Col Dominic Twesigomwe, the CMI deputy boss who is now attending a military course at the National Defence College, Kenya and army publicists Col Felix Kulayigye, Lieutenant Colonels Paddy Ankunda and Barigye Bahoku. Hopefuls But another army source says there are about three groups of a much younger generation compared to the ‘Mayombo 1985 group’ that will provide the future UPDF leadership. One of these groups attended a cadet course in Monduli, Tanzania. “Intake 37 went to Munduli in 1997 and some of the soldiers in this group are: Lt Col Ddamulira Sserunjogi, director Intelligence, Land Forces; Maj CD Mukasa intelligence officer, first division; Maj Julius Rubakuba, intelligence officer 2nd division and brother to Brig Muhoozi; and Lt Col Bob Ogik, director of the Senior Staff and Command College, Kimaka,” the source revealed. Later, another cadet group attended the Gaddafi School of Infantry, including Maj Stuart Agaba, former Aide de Camp to the President, now in Somalia; Maj Felix Bishorozi, OC. Special Coy Special Forces Group; and Capt Napoleon Namanya, head of Museveni’s inner-security circle. Others are: Lt Col Emmanuel Ankunda, political commissar fifth division; Lt Col Chris Ogumiraki, Somalia contingent political commissar; Maj Ephraim Mugume, the military assistant to the outgoing Joint Chief of Staff, Maj Gen Robert Rusoke who was recently dropped and sent to head Uganda’s new embassy in South Sudan. Others are: Maj Tanturano Tumuryanze, the chief instructor at Kabamba; Col Tumusiime Katsigazi, a lawyer who heads the Moi Brigade in Nakasongala; and Lt Col Johnson Namanya, a former journalist with The Monitor (now Daily Monitor), who is the administration officer in charge of the UPDF industries in Luwero. Muhoozi advantage Lastly, there is the group that trained and graduated alongside the First Son, Brig Muhoozi. These soldiers, most of them fresh and effervescent Makerere University graduates, trained at Kasenyi, Kaweweta, Kabamba and completed their cadet course at the Ghaddafi School of Infantry. They include: Muhoozi’s deputy, Col Sabiiti Magyenyi; Lt Col Dan Kakono, the commanding officer of the tank battalion in SFC; and Maj Charity Bainababo, who is the ADC to the First Lady. Others are: Capt Allan Matsiko, in charge of Counterintelligence, SFG; Capt Nabimanya, an intelligence officer in SFG; and Capt Michael Kanyamunyu, in charge Special Investigations Bureau, SFG. It is this closely knit group that holds a semblance of loyalty to Muhoozi.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 09:05:04 +0000