Gen Muntu, Army clash over meeting

Facing-off. Chief of Defence Forces David Muhoozi left, Permanent Secretary Rosette Byengoma (2nd left), State minister for Defence Charles Engola (centre) and State Minister for Veterans Affairs Bright Rwamirama (right) appear before the Defence and Internal Affairs Parliamentary Committee last week. PHOTO BY ERIC DOMINIC BUKENYA

What you need to know:

  • Section 14(b) of the UPDF Act 2005, states that persons who were senior officers on the 26th day of January 1986, whose names are set out in the Second Schedule of this Act constitute membership of the council.
  • In the Second Schedule of the UPDF Act, Gen Muntu’s name appears first on the list of “senior officers as at 1986.”

Kampala. Top Defence ministry officials and former army commander Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu have clashed over claims that the FDC party president still receives invitations to Army Council meetings through military radio messages.
The debate over Gen Muntu’s attendance of the Army Council meetings was sparked off by Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi, who asked why Gen Muntu is not invited to the military top brass council.

“The other time [President] Museveni summoned the Army Council but Gen Muntu was not invited, yet he is number one on the list according to the UPDF Act, what is your programme to realign sections of the law,” Mr Kivumbi asked the officials who were appearing before the parliamentary Defence and Internal Affairs Committee.
But Defence minister Adolf Mwesigye responded that “Gen Muntu receives the invitation but it is not personal.”
He told the legislators that the Defence ministry intends to table amendments to the UPDF Act to scrap the list of individuals supposed to attend the Army Council and instead tag it to office bearers.

Speaking to journalists, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen David Muhoozi, corroborated Mr Mwesigye’s claim, insisting the former Army Commander receives invitations to the meetings.
“As far as I know, nobody has stopped Gen Muntu from attending the Army Council meetings. Invitation has been extended. They send [military] radio messages, and it (invitation) is not personal,” he said.
Speaking to Daily Monitor after the meeting, Lt Col Bright Rwamirama, the Veterans Affairs State minister, backed the claims that Gen Muntu receives invitation to the meetings by radio messages. Asked whether Gen Muntu has the equipment to receive the communication, he said: “He has because he has an aide, and he is privy but he doesn’t want to attend because of his political inclination…he has a network.”

Asked whether he has an aide and he still carries the radio equipment through which he receives the alleged invitation, Gen Muntu dismissed the claims as unfounded propaganda.
“Why should someone tell such a blatant lie? I don’t receive any message. I do not have a military assistant; I have not had one since 2004 and I have never received any invitation to the Army Council since I retired,” Gen Muntu said.
“When I was in command, I had the radio equipment, but when I left, I didn’t remain with a radio man or equipment. I don’t receive any military message,” he said.
Gen Muntu said Lt Col Rwamirama is “either grossly misinformed or he is simply an unashamed propagandist.” Defence and UPDF spokesperson Brig Gen Richard Karemire did not commit on whether the army has attached an aide to Gen Muntu.

“If he [Gen Muntu]is still a member, he must find a way of checking to find out when the council sits; the institution is available. We get messages and not every soldier has equipment,” Brig Gen Karemire said.
He said Gen Muntu “should get interested in knowing when the Army Council convenes,” adding that “there are very many others who do not have radios but they come and check with the Chief of Personnel.” Security analyst and former Bubulo East MP Simon Mulongo, in a telephone conversation with the Sunday Monitor, said there is no need to invite Gen Muntu to the meetings despite his name being reflected on the UPDF Act.

“If this council (Army Council) plans national security, I think they (opposition leaders) should be disqualified because they threaten national security; they have different interests.” Mr Mulongo said.
He said inviting Gen Muntu would be “a threat to national security because FDC is not just a political opposition, it is opposed to the NRM party establishment.”
Section 14(b) of the UPDF Act 2005, states that persons who were senior officers on the 26th day of January 1986, whose names are set out in the Second Schedule of this Act constitute membership of the council.
In the Second Schedule of the UPDF Act, Gen Muntu’s name appears first on the list of “senior officers as at 1986.”