Is UPDF the best managed govt agency in Uganda? Minority Report

The ‘Deep State’ constitutes government departments that form the base of the contemporary State. These departments are responsible for civil policing (keeping law and order), territorial integrity (military). Other scholars have added the justice value-chain (beginning from policing, courts of judicature and the correctional service).

I am no scholar, but I have personally added the Central Bank to Deep State. In Museveni’s Uganda, the interaction between the Executive and the Central Bank offers a case study why scholarship should add the Central Bank to the list of government agencies that constitute the Deep State.

Unfortunately, the Deep State in Uganda is the most messed part of the State. Save for the military (Uganda Peoples Defence Forces), all the sections of the Deep State are subjects of some negative public perception issues or real scandals. The question then is, how come there seems to be no more scandals in the UPDF? Is it because the UPDF is now the best-run department of the Deep State? Or has the media switched off on matters related to the UPDF? Or has the leakers of military tips or information (whistle blowers?) inside the UPDF gone silent? Or has the UPDF PR machine overwhelmed (influenced?) media attitudes towards the military?

There are things I personally feel the UPDF would not quarrel about if the media reported on them. For instance, the UPDF ran a commission aimed at establishing all parcels of land assets under their custody. It was headed by Lt Gen James Nakibus Lakara.

If the media is interested in tips on the findings of the UPDF Land Commission (of Inquiry), I can offer one: The property and land on which UPDF Officers’ Mess Kasese sits, doesn’t belong to the UPDF (the identity of the claimant of the Kasese Officers’ Mess land and property will remain withheld for now). And there is a land dispute in Entebbe involving the UPDF and a businessman in the hotel industry.

Even if that land belonged to a private developer, no military leadership worth their salt would allow any structure (tall or short building) as nearer a military establishment as the proximity of that land allows. Plus, of course, the land legitimately belongs to the UPDF.

The Ugandan media need to renew their interests in military-related matters. There are things that need more public scrutiny. For instance, what informs the policy to recall veterans whose gratuity has not even been paid? How can we reduce military service to service provision, employment and money making? The good thing is that the current UPDF leadership has reduced or defeated intrigue in the service. May be that is why there are no more scandals.

Daily Monitor recently reported that Col Paul Muwonge, the Director of Intelligence for Lands Forces, was arrested and detained on accusation of spying for Rwanda.

Where is the said colonel now? Did Daily Monitor make a follow up on the matter? Did journalists at Daily Monitor understand and appreciate the gravity of a charge of espionage slapped on a senior service officer?

For me, when I heard of the accusation of ‘spying for Rwanda’, I just knew it was kiwani. Now hear this: I have reliably learnt that the said Col Muwonge has been deployed somewhere else. And you ask yourself: How can a man battling the serious charge of espionage just be treated as if nothing happened?

If I were allowed, I would thank the UPDF leadership for correctly assessing the charges levelled against Col Muwonge (and finding them wanting). Because the charges didn’t add up, the UPDF leadership made the right decision to assign the said Col Muwonge another duty station.

Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of East African Flagpost.

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