President Museveni yesterday re-appointed his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, a Lieutenant General, to command Uganda's Special Forces Command (SFC). SFC is an elite unit responsible for the security of the Ugandan President, his immediate family and vital national installations such as oil fields.
He also tapped Maj Gen Paul Lokech as the new deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) in a raft of changes that affected some ranks of the army and the police force.
Maj Gen Lokech, a battle-hardened Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) commander, replaces Maj Gen Muzeyi Sabiiti, who until his deployment as deputy IGP 33 months ago, deputised Lt Gen Muhoozi as the commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC).
Maj Gen Sabiiti was recalled to the army general headquarters, pending deployment, in the mini-reshuffle that the Defence and Military spokesperson, Brig Flavia Byekwaso, last evening referred to as “normal changes”.
As the Commander-in-Chief, the President has the power, sometimes with the advice of the army leadership, to appoint or designate any military officer to any command positions any time without giving reasons for the choices.
Yet, the tone of President Museveni in yesterday’s radio message was starkly different: a warning to future protestors, a rebuke of the police and an expression of his displeasure with the force's personnel.
“I congratulate the UPDF for defeating the insurrection that the traitors, with their foreign backers, attempted to stage a few weeks ago,” he said, in reference to the November 18 and 19 protests over the arrest of presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine.
At least 54 people were killed, the police and Mr Museveni announced days later, with many of the victims succumbing to gunshot wounds after armed men in civilian clothing fanned out to subdue the two-day disturbances as police appeared restrained.
The President noted: “The police force must be made to do its duty of defending Ugandans from lawlessness, threat to life and property. Any police person that does not do this must leave the police. There are thousands ready to replace them.”
Maj Gen Sabiiti and Lt Gen Muhoozi joined the military at the same time, in the famous Intake 6 of May 1999, and many in that cohort comparably rose through the ranks faster and now occupy key UPDF command positions.
Maj Denis Omara, the SFC spokesman, yesterday said Lt Gen Muhoozi’s return to superintend the Special Forces is significant because modernisation of the Special Forces was brainchild of the First Son.
“As a former commander, he will fit in well and enable us achieve some of the things SFC needed since he pioneered our modernisation,” Maj Omara said.
Placing son at helm significant
Lt Gen Muhoozi’s return on an election eve to command SFC while doubling as Senior Presidential Adviser on Special Operations, is significant as it places him at the helm of Uganda’s most sensitive security operations, high-value military assets and specialised branches such as marines, airforce, paratroopers and artillery brigades.
Highly-placed sources told this newspaper that the rebound of the First Son to mainstream military leadership, after nearly three years on the sidelines, may be to prepare him for other possible assignments.
Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, 46, joined the army in 1999.
He did a cadet course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Britain.Upon his return to Uganda in 2000, Lt Gen Muhoozi joined the Presidential Protecion Unit as 2nd Lieutenant and in 2001, he was promoted to the rank of Major.
He later went to Fort Leavenworth in the US and upon his return, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
He has also trained in South Africa, Egypt, and Israel.
Gen Muhoozi commanded a unit of Special Forces during Operation Lighting Thunder in 2008 against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in DR Congo.
He has also been in the planning and overseeing of Special Forces operations in South Sudan and Somalia. Sources close to him say he was passionate about the military even while young and that is why he chose to serve.
Report by Risdel Kasasira, Andrew Bagala and Derrick Wandera
