Museveni retires 14 UPDF Generals, 590 others
- Written by URN
Gen Yoweri Museveni
President Museveni has today retired 14 Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) generals and 590 other officers.
The most senior by rank of those retired is Gen Ivan Koreta. The 65-year-old four-star Koreta joined armed forces in 1981 when Museveni and group picked up guns to fight Dr Milton Obote’s government.
Koreta trained as a soldier in Mozambique as a member of Front for National Salvation which was then a rebel group formed to topple off the leadership of President Idi Amin after accusing him of being a dictator.
While fighting Dr Obote’s government, Museveni and the group formed a rebel group christened National Resistance Army (NRA) where Koreta was the battalion commander. After capturing power in 1986, Koreta’s group was in charge of providing security along the Kampala-Gulu highway.
When NRA transformed into UPDF, Koreta held various positions that show him rise through the ranks. In his over 40 years’ military career, Koreta served as First Division commander, deputy director of Internal Security Organisation (ISO), the first commandant of senior command and Staff College at Kimaka, chairman General Court Martial and deputy chief of defence forces.
The second-highest-ranking retired UPDF generals include three stars generals; Lt Gen Pecos Onesmus Kuteesa and Lt Gen Jim Beesigye Owoyesigyire. Kuteesa’s military service stretches way back to 1976 when he became a member of FRONASA which was another group formed to fight Amin.
Kuteesa joined FRONASA after completing S.6 and was trained at Munduli military academy in Tanzania. After Amin was overthrown, Kuteesa was deployed to command Nakasongola military schools which he later deserted to join the NRA of Museveni to fight Obote's government. Kuteesa once served as Museveni’s ADC and a member of parliament representing the army.
Kuteesa was in 1994 voted to a member of the Constituent Assembly representing Kabula and the group was responsible for the establishment of the current Uganda Constitution 1995 even though it has severally been amended.
Beesigye Owoyesigyire was commander of AMISOM a peacekeeping force in Somalia. Owoyesigyire also joined the armed forces in 1979 and his 42 years’ career has seen him serve in key military positions such as commander Air Force between 2005 and 2012, he had earlier served as a division commander for field artillery and was served as chairperson of a committee that shows the establishment of National Defence College, in addition, to represent army in parliament between 2011 and 2016.
The retirees also include two-star Generals, Maj Gen Christopher Kazoora Murema, Maj Gen Moses Wadimba Ssentongo, Maj Gen Robert Rusoke and Maj Gen Innocent George Oula. Rusoke is the current overall supervisor of the Covid-19 joint security task force.
The one-star generals who have also been retired include Brig Gen Moses Kigongo, Brig Gen Jacob Asiimwe, Brig Gen Moses Shaban Lukyamuzi, Brig Gen Muhammed Abiriga, Brig Gen John Araali Kasaija and Brig Gen Frank Kanyarutokye.
However, former Inspector General of Police, Gen Edward Kale Kayihura, Gen David Sejusa who had earlier been rumoured to be on the list were not included. It is not clear whether the two applied for retirement or not.
Comments
One cannot be a general through fighting civil wars or by over throwing a government. He further told me his experience fighting in Africa, that African soldiers cannot withstand heavy bombardments. They always flee or surrender.
According to him only Angola and a couple of other countries have formidable armies. May be that is why many prefer to do the police work/peace-keeping instead of fighting
Gen Tinyejusa has way back past retirement age from the military. But under what law is Gen Tibuhaburwa holding Gen Sejusa hostage and blocking his retirement?
In other words, where are the Human Rights Defenders/lawyers?
Museveni will not repeat the "mistake" of retiring another Kizza Besigye from his army. The Military Court Martial expects to receive them any time from now.
He therefore decides who stays, who leaves, and who is promoted in his private militia.
In any other properly functioning state, such news as the one above would not be headline. Military affairs would be discreetly reported without such publicity.
But in a banana republic like Uganda, this just goes to prove how much the military still dominate every aspect of the country, much more than the other critical sectors eg health, education, environmental etc.
Right from the days when he would come from Tanzania to assassinate Ugandans, then UNLF period, the Luwero triangle period, and over 37 years in power! How greedy you are to want to die in power!
Are you satisfied with people's RED blood oosing from your hands while killing them as if they had become goats?
Whether you retire them or not, that is not what Ugandans want from you! They are simply crying for your departure for you have become a thorn in their feet, a real gigger!
In other words Zaitun, the guy mercilessly kills Ugandans (masacre); but he does not want to hear about his own demise.
It is becoming abominable and treasonable for anybody to even think about the sudden death of Gen Tibuhaburwa.
Wachireba?