By Frank Asiimwe Mulekwa
Over the week, Mr. Kenneth Anderson Lukwago hosted Mr. Gawaya Tegulle, Ambassador Simon Mulongo, the former MP Bubulo East and Hon. Steven Mukitale Birahwa on Radio One Spectrum extra political talk show, to discuss the reshuffle in the cabinet with focus on the appointment of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as CDF, the cabinet reshuffle and other topics in the news.
Counsel Gawaya Tegulle stated that the army is being bastardized, portrayed as useless and that there is no quality to it and that Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba does not have the quality to be the CDF.
First of all, Mr. Tegulle has zero military credentials on the basis of which he cannot judge Muhoozi’s competence with any level of expertise. If it was a military officer speaking one would say at least there is professional expertise to count on.
The duty of weighing the suitability of commanders and whether or not to appoint them is a preserve of the Commander-In-Chief (C-I-C), on the advice of the Appointments Board or any other organ charged with meticulously vetting appointees. Any commentary can be treated as common talk, to which anyone is entitled, but it says nothing about the unsuitability of Muhoozi or any other commander appointed alongside him.
Gen. Muhoozi’s military record speaks for itself; where he has served, the dedication, discipline, innovation, charisma, patriotism and Pan-African spirit.
When he was commander SCF, when he was the Commander Land Forces nobody questioned his suitability yet these are sensitive positions. But with him becoming CDF, the Tegulle group wakes up thinking there is so much difference.
You cannot judge someone’s competence before his or her service time. That can only be due to hatred. Tegulle needs to tell us if Muhoozi didn’t fulfill the terms of his command while at the helm of SCF and as Commander Land Forces.
Tegulle must know that President Museveni is a master of practical military science which is why he is renowned in stabilizing Uganda and the region.
Every competent commander gets promoted and it’s Muhoozi’s time to shine as the top commander of UPDF, an army that is not short of good and capable officers, but only one can serve in a position at any one time. It’s Muhoozi’s time. We shall judge him by his service record but not bias and ill will.
Why is it that only Muhoozi is targeted for criticism when other commanders were appointed alongside him? An army succeeds on the strength of team work and UPDF has many levels of commands which make the whole military machine functional and effective. Attacking Muhoozi is an attempt to narrow the power of the army to the hands of one individual but that is self-delusion.
On top of that, UPDF is a people’s army backed by the absolute majority of Ugandans. If Mr. Tegulle backs opponents of the people’s army, then that is his business but UPDF is here to stay serving the interests of the people at all times.
The President reserves the power and authority to appoint, hire or fire anyone in the army and other security organs, Cabinet and any other department of government within the existing Constitutional framework which regulates how power in the hands of the people is exercised.
Ultimately, all actions of the President are democratically informed and the prejudices of one or two individuals cannot subvert the gains of recent times.
Uganda is functioning on all fronts, and moving forward at a faster pace than before. Ask someone that had never directly touched a shilling directly from Government coffers now receiving PDM, Emyooga, Segop, UWEP, YLP and SAGE money and they will laugh at you when you claim that Uganda has stagnated or is on the verge of collapse.
The reality of Uganda doesn’t need propaganda because propaganda can’t work when facts are out to be seen. It’s not a matter of criticising and the public believes. If Uganda is under despoticism, why does Mr. Tegulle freely say all he says and goes on with his life unscathed? Isn’t that an own goal?
Mr. Tegulle and others like him have criticized NRM for ages with no impact, no momentum to cause regime change as their ultimate aim.
What does that say about their own competence? It’s alright to point out the wrongs in the system once in a while but when it becomes a full time endeavor but no results to show, then the critic should do introspection to achieve mental equilibrium.
President Museveni will make changes in his teams as and when he feels justified to do so until he feels satisfied with the lineup in light of the grand agenda to socioeconomically transform Uganda and secure the future of us all.
Anyone aggrieved with that should present his or her manifesto to Ugandans.
Congratulations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, colleague commanders and the new Cabinet lineup on catching the eye of the Appointing Authority! Serve well and make us proud!
The author is NRM publicist, Kampala District
