Soldier who asked Muhoozi ‘irrelevant’ questions released
Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba addresses army chiefs in Mbuya last year. The soldier who was arrested after he reportedly asked him “irrelevant” questions has been released. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE.
What you need to know:
Bad curiosity. Capt Asiimwe was arrested and deported from Somalia in July for asking Brig Muhoozi “embarrassing” questions during a meeting.
KAMPALA
The army has released Capt Moses Asiimwe, the UPDF officer who was arrested in Somalia for asking questions that the army said were embarrassing during a meeting attended by the Special Forces Commander, Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Capt Asiimwe has been deployed in the 4th Division, based in Gulu District, under the Chieftaincy of Personnel and Administration. The army spokesperson, Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, said Capt Asiimwe was cautioned before he was released two weeks ago. “He was cautioned and I think he apologised for his behaviour. He has repented and is now stable,” Lt Col Ankunda said. He was cautioned by the office of Chief of Staff, Land Forces.
Sources told Saturday Monitor that the Unit officer who ordered the arrest of Capt Asiimwe had been questioned for being “overzealous”. Although he is a free man, his redeployment will see him lose millions of shillings he was earning while still in Somalia. Each soldier earns Shs2m a month as allowances paid by African Union on top their salaries paid by the Uganda government.
Why he was arrested
Capt Asiimwe was arrested in July when he purportedly asked Brig Muhoozi why some soldiers stay on the same rank for long while others are “fast-tracked”. But the day after the Daily Monitor published the story, the army said Capt Asiimwe had been arrested for asking questions that were “irrelevant.”
Lt Col Ankunda said the officer had further alleged that UPDF had failed to provide entertainment facilities like Pool Tables and Darts for the soldiers in Somalia. “These are matters of welfare that could not fit the agenda of an operation meeting,” he said.
Capt Asiimwe was put on the plane the day after his arrest and taken to Makindye Military Barracks where he was detained.
Meanwhile Uganda Battle Group 10 will be returning to Uganda after 10 months of deployment in Somalia. This is the group that was fighting alongside Burundians and captured Baidoa, Buur-hakhaba. They were under Col Edison Muhanguzi.
The Ugandan contingent commander, Brig Michael Ondoga, will also be ending his tenure and will be replaced by Brig Dick Olum, formerly commanding the Regional Task Force fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army in Central African Republic.
