No retirement for Sejusa - army

President Museveni (C) during the meeting with Gen David Sejusa (4th L) at State House Entebbe on January 3. File Photo

What you need to know:

Upon return from the State House meeting, Sejusa’s lawyers told the press at his residence in Naguru that among other things, the President had accepted his request to be retired from the army. They said the President had accordingly ordered the UPDF Chief of Legal Services Brig Ramadhan Kyamulesire who had attended the meeting, to start the retirement process. The issue was widely reported in the media

Kampala.

The retirement of Gen David Sejusa from the army has hit a snag after the UPDF Chief of Legal Services (CLS) said President Museveni has never instructed him to start the process of retiring the agitated general.

After his return from exile on December 14, 2014, Gen Sejusa issued various public outbursts against the government and asked President Museveni to retire him from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).

On January 2, the military surrounded Sejusa’s home in Naguru. Museveni later sent an emissary to Sejusa a.k.a Tinyefuza, to invite him to State House for talks. But Sejusa rejected the invitation and vowed he would not talk to the President until he had retired him from the army.

However on January 3, Sejusa was taken to State House in Entebbe and held talks with the President in the presence of his lawyers Michael Mabikke and David Mushabe.

Upon return from the State House meeting, Sejusa’s lawyers told the press at his residence in Naguru that among other things, the President had accepted his request to be retired from the army. They said the President had accordingly ordered the UPDF Chief of Legal Services Brig Ramadhan Kyamulesire who had attended the meeting, to start the retirement process. The issue was widely reported in the media.

However, on January 7, Brig Kyamulesire wrote to Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Katumba Wamala, denying any instructions by the President about Sejusa’s retirement.

Sejusa’s lawyers had written to the CDF and Chief of Legal Services inquiring about the progress of their client’s retirement application of December 30, 2014.

In response, Brig Kyamulesire wrote to Gen Katumba saying the claims that during the State House meeting of January 3 President Museveni ordered the Chief of Legal Services to process Sejusa’s retirement were false.

“I wish to categorically clarify that in the said meeting the President never instructed the Chief of Legal Services of UPDF and other relevant officers to process Gen Sejusa’s retirement,” Kyamulesire wrote to Gen Katumba.

“The only instructions issued by the President to Brig Ramadhan Kyamulesire were to inform the CDF to withdraw the Military Police soldiers earlier on deployed at Gen Sejusa’s residence,” Brig Kyamulesire added.

Katumba responds
Subsequently, citing Brig Kyamulesire’s communication, Gen Katumba wrote to Sejusa’s lawyers on January 8, informing them that no progress had been made on the matter because there was no such a directive on Sejusa’s retirement as purported.

“In reference A [letter inquiring about Sejusa retirement], you sought to know the progress of General Sejusa’s retirement process and purported that the President had given instructions to this effect, to the Chief of Legal Services and other officers, during a meeting on January 3, 2015 at Entebbe,” Gen Katumba told Sejusa’s lawyers.

“In the circumstances, following the clarification above (Brig Kyamulesire’s letter), as Chairman of the Commissions/Promotions Board, I shall wait for a written or other forms of communication from the President and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces, giving guidance on the matter.”

Mr Mushabe, who said he was speaking on behalf of Gen Sejusa, said yesterday: “He (Gen Sejusa) will speak at a later stage. If UPDF remains stubborn to retire him or the President refuses to retire him.”
He said they would go to court if the 90-day timeline elapses without a decision or if the UPDF Commissions and Promotions Board refuses to retire their client.

“If this retirement application (December 30 application) is rejected, as his lawyers, we will challenge the decision in court,” Mushabe said.