NUP questions UPDF ‘double standards’ after MP apologises for wearing army uniform
Kitgum Woman MP, Lillian Aber poses for a photo im army uniform on after flagging off a cleaning exercise by UPDF soldiers in Kitgum District ahead of Tarehe Sita celebrations. PHOTOS/ COURTESY OF LILLIAN ABER ON X
What you need to know:
- Section 160 of the UPDF Act, 2003, subsection 2 (part C) prohibits nonmembers of security forces from receiving, possessing, selling or delivering any [of the gazetted] attires of the armed forces.
National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders have questioned what they described as double standards by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) after photos of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Member of Parliament clad in army uniform went viral on social media.
Photos of Kitgum Woman MP, Ms Lilian Aber, clad in full UPDF uniform as she, on February 5, flagged off the cleaning exercise by UPDF as a pre-event ahead of Terehe Sita celebrations went viral on various social media platforms, stirring debate on how and under what circumstances civilians may freely wear the army uniform.
This comes amid reports of arrests of opposition supporters accused of wearing red berets which the UPDF said was gazette for only armed forces.
The UPDF spokesperson, Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye, however, told journalists the legislator was earlier summoned and subsequently apologized to the Commander of Defence Forces (CDF) for her actions.
“Honourable Lilian Aber was taken to the task [on Monday] and she did apologize and actually removed it immediately. Since she apologized the CDF forgave her and cautioned her not to do it again,” Brig Gen Kulayigye told NTV-Uganda, on Tuesday.
“But the officer who gave her the uniform was arrested,” he added.
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Businessman and journalist, Andrew Mwenda and the state minister for Sports, Mr Peter Ogwanga have in the past been seen donning army attires in public without any legal actions taken against them.
Government officials, including civil servants and NRM MPs, among others attending training or holding meetings at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi District are normally seen dressed in army uniform.
The Law
Section 160 of the UPDF Act, 2003, subsection 2 (part C) prohibits nonmembers of security forces from receiving, possessing, selling or delivering any [of the gazetted] attires of the armed forces.
In the past, several people, mostly supporters of NUP have been arrested and arraigned in the courts of law for allegedly wearing attires purported to be a monopoly of the armed
Many who were found wearing NUP’s red berets are still on remand and grappling with criminal charges before the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala.
It’s against this background that NUP leaders have accused UPDF of ‘double standards’, arguing that it is unfair to enforce laws in a selective manner.
Kitgum Woman MP, Ms Lilian Aber (holding broom) flags off a cleaning exercise by UPDF in Kitgum District as a pre-event ahead of Terehe Sita celebrations. PHOTO/ COURTESY
“These double standards are sickening and show that there is no rule of law. If Lilian Aber just apologized [and they let her go] why are we seeing our supporters being taken to courts when they are not actually putting on military uniforms,” Mr Lewis Rubongoya, NUP secretary general questioned.
Through his X(formerly Twitter) handle, the NUP president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi also said: “I think we can all agree that it is not for violating the law that hundreds of NUP/ People Power supporters have suffered abduction, arrest, torture, prosecution and even death for putting on the People Power red berets. They endure that persecution simply because they oppose Museveni…. that's why NRM's Lilian Aber (Woman MP Kitgum District) can freely put on the full UPDF uniform and nothing is done to her..”
