The ‘ethnic army’ keeping Museveni in power
By Timothy Nsubuga
26th Sept 2011:
The 'ethnic' Generals keeping Museveni in power?
Whether it was justifiable or not, a great number of Ugandans raised a blaring alarm of concern about the ‘ethnic army’ that President Museveni unveiled to the world when he blasted his way into power on the 26th [some say 25th] of January 1986.
One of Museveni’s acclaimed early strengths was that as a leader, he had his fingers on the pulse of the nation. His reaction to the nation’s pulse however received mixed reviews, depending on who you talked to, and which side of the political divide they were on.
His cheer singers thought the ‘ethnic army’ was an unavoidable coincidence that could be easily explained by the fact that Museveni came from, recruited from, and launched his armed struggle [with the help of his tribesmen] from Western Uganda. Others of course differed, arguing that Museveni was setting Uganda up for genocide by surrounding himself with his Western kinsmen.
Museveni’s immediate reaction, a reaction that some said was designed to stop Ugandans from questioning the unfair ethnic composition of the state, was to enact a law that criminalised ‘sectarianism’. From then on, Museveni could appoint his wife, son, brother, cousins, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends to powerful positions within the state superstructure with the full backing of the law.
Anyone who cried foul could be prosecuted under criminal law, as many Ugandans [including Journalists] were! One regular commentator in the Daily Monitor newspaper once said Museveni’s law against sectarianism was, as he put it, “…passed in bad faith”. Indeed, for twenty six years, that ‘ethnic balance’ debate has not been eclipsed from Ugandan political discourse.
In a 2009 US diplomatic cable leaked by Whistleblower website WikiLeaks, Museveni’s own NRM party deputy [Vice Chairman for Eastern Region] ‘Capt’. Mike Mukula told the then US Ambassador to Uganda Jerry Lanier that, “…President Yoweri Museveni was grooming his son, Lt. Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to succeed him, favouring Banyankole politically, militarily and economically”.
One our regular readers, who is obviously aggrieved by the real or perceived ethnic imbalances in the state structure, sent us this list of what he called “…the military-civilian ethnic army that keeps Museveni in power”. Uganda Correspondent does not share its reader’s views and could not independently verify the current designations of the people named in the list but felt it necessary to publish it to generate further debate. Here is the list:
1. Gen. Aronda Nyakairima – CDF
2. Gen. Elly Tumwine- Special Adviser to President
3. Gen. Salim Saleh – Special Adviser to President
4. Gen. David Tinyefunza- Intelligence Co-ordinator
5. Lt. Gen. Ivan Koreta- DCDF based at MOD Mbuya
6. Maj. Gen. Jim Owesigire – CAF –Entebbe
7. Maj. Gen. Joram Mugume – Head UPDF Land Forces
8. Maj. Gen. Kale Kaihura – IGP
9. Maj. Gen. Pecos Kutesa – UPDF Doctrine
10. Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha – Head of UNISOM Somalia
11. Babashaija – Director General Prisons
12. Brig. Sabiiti – UPDF Engineering Division
13. Brig. J. Mugume – Head Army Shop
14. Brig. Rusoke – Joint Chief of Staff (COS)
15. Brig. Burundi – 1st Divsion Commander
16. Brig. Kankiriho – 3rd Division Commander
17. Brig. Kalyebala – Commandant Kabamba Training Wing
18. Brig. Rwehururu – Adviser to CDF
19. Brig. Mugisha – Head Field Artillery
20. Brig. P. Mugyenyi – Head of Motorized Division
21. Brig. James Mugira – Head CMI based
22. Col. T. Mugume – Chief of Finance UPDF HQ
23. Brig. Moses Rwakitarite – COS Air Force Entebbe.
24. Col. Shaban Bantariza – Head Kyankwanzi Political School
25. Col. David Muhoozi – Head Armoured Division, Masaka
26. Col. Ramadhan Kyamulesire – Head Legal Department of UPDF
27. Col. Byarugaba – Head Education Dept, MOD Mbuya
28. Col. Bakahumula – Chief of Personnel/Administration
29. Col. Fred Mwesigye – Head of NEC/Industrialisation
30. Col. P. Katirima – UPDF Chief Political Commissar
31. Col Kareba – UPDF Chief of Pensions and Gratuity
33. Col. Victor Mwesigye – Deputy Signal/Communication Officer
34. Col. Mugisha – Head Military Police, Makindye.
35. Col. D. Twewombe – Deputy CMI
36. Col. Mushanyufu – UPDF Head of IT/Records
37. Col. Ronnie Balya – Director General ISO
38. Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba – Commander of Special Forces Group
39. Lt. Col. Sabiiti – Commanding Officer PGB
40. Lt. Col. John Namanya – OPN PGB
41. Lt. Col. Birungi – UPDF Head of Artillery
42. Lt. Col. Nyarwa – UPDF Head of Marine Unit
43. Lt. Col. Kanyagonya – CMI Legal Officer
44. Col. Felix Kulaigye – UPDF Spokesman
45. Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda – UPDF Spokesman Somalia
46. Lt. Col. Bakoku Barigye – UNISOM Spokesman based in Mogadishu
47. Lt. Col. Karugaba – Deputy Chief of Logistics and Engineering
48. Lt. Col. Kagoro – UPDF Deputy Legal Officer, based at Mbuya
49. Lt. Col. Karemire – UPDF Head Protocol Section
50. Lt. Col. Grace Agaba – UPDF Director of Administration
51. Lt. Col. Tumisiime – Head Special Investigating Branch (SIB)
52. Lt. Col. Ishoke – Director CMI Counter Intelligence
53. Lt. Col. Winyi – UPDF Director of Records
54. Lt. Col. Kakuru – UPDF Director of Personnel
55. Major Tukacungura – UPDF Chief Prosecutor, Bombo
56. Major Mugyerwa – UPDF Director of Finance
56. Major Mbonye – Head JAT – CMI based at Kololo
57. Major Asaba – CMI Analyst based at Mbuya
58. Capt. Jonah Musinguzi – Director UPDF Forex Bureau
59. Mrs. Rosette Byengoma – Permanent Sec. MOD HQ Mbuya
60. Mrs. Naome Kibajju – Under Secretary MOD (I/C Logistics in UPDF)
61. Mrs. Buturo – Under Secretary (Finance) MOD Mbuya
62. Mrs. Mbabazi – Director Arms Factory Nakasongola
63. Mrs Kalenzi – SPPS – Defence to H.E based at Mbuya
64. Mr. Nawumanya – UPDF Head of Auditing Depart, Mbuya
65. Mr. Grace Turyagumanawe – Ex-Kampala Met. Police Commander
The big question is: Are Museveni’s critics justified when they accuse him of stuffing state institutions with his tribesmen? You be the judge! END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
