Does Mr Museveni need to be designated as a field marshal?

The first time I heard of the title or rank of field marshal was when Uganda’s famous military ruler Idi Amin Dada declared himself as field marshal of the Uganda Army. He ruled Uganda from January 1971 to April 1979. When we grew up, we learnt that another Ugandan named John Okello had in the early 1960s designated himself field marshal in Zanzibar (and abolished the monarchy).

 Do I support the idea of making (mark my word: not promoting) Mr Museveni a field marshal? My answer: Does Mr Museveni need to be a field marshal?
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With Idi Amin’s economic war in Uganda, we in the western part of Kasese lived in the shadow of Mobutu’s Zaire and its cultural influence. We had more Radio Trottoire stories (Radio Katwe or gossip) about Zaire and Mobutu than about Idi Amin and Uganda.

 I have reviewed many videos on Mobutu and his Zaire. One such video is of a ceremony at which President Joseph Kasavubu promoted Joseph Desire Mobutu and officially appointed him Chef de l’Etat Major (Chief of the Defence Forces). The other video is when Mobutu declared himself Marshal de l’Etat (Marshal of the State or Field Marshal).

 On that day, Mobutu was overwhelmed by emotion and he almost cried in public. I have also watched the full-length documentary titled Mobutu, Roi du Zaire (Mobutu, King of Zaire).
 As a service rank, field marshal is slowly becoming obsolete. It is now associated with military and political leadership with fascistic attitudes. The British and US armies, whose heritage Uganda’s military espouse, have not had that service rank or title in a long time. In the US, Marshal is more associated with civil-state agencies like courts, fire department and policing.

 The more common designation of over-all military leadership is now supreme commander. In most cases, supreme command is associated with a command positions under which are different national military elements. In short, the word or rank or title of field marshal stinks and is headed for extinction. Suffice to say, the two well-known field marshals (Amin and Mobutu) are not known to offer any inspiration to Mr Museveni.
 
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I will share with our readers why and how Mobutu declared himself field marshal (Marechal de l’Etat or State Marshal). During the protests that rocked Zaire in the early 1990s, Mobutu called for (or actually made) a constitutional amendment. The new constitution provided for the office of Chef de l’Etat et Marchale de l’Etat (head of state and state marshal).

 The head of state (and state marshal) would have little to do with the day-to-day running of the government; he was above national politics. The party with majority deputes (MPs) would form the government and its leader would become the prime minister. The prime minister would be responsible for running the government. Mobutu even tentatively introduced and allowed for political parties to vie for power to run the government.

 He appointed opposition leader Ettiene Tshisekedi wa Mulumba as the first prime minister under this arrangement. Of course Mobutu continued to intervene in the day to day running of the government. Tshisekedi challenged him about his interference in government. Sate marshal and head of state Mobutu removed Tshisekedi from the position of prime minister.

 Mr Museveni has had his self-actualisation and does not need me or some other court jester to ‘appoint’ him field marshal of the UPDF or state marshal . 
In the next kisanja, Museveni only needs to do a few things. Streamline and strengthen agencies of the traditional civil state like the administrator general, URSB, NIRA. 
Births and deaths must be registered. Ugandans need leadership on service delivery, not titles.

Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of the East African Flagpost. [email protected]