The most tantalizing and rhetorical question is “has Uganda ever retired such a huge number of generals let alone only a singular one?” The answer is in the negative namely, never before the Yoweri Museveni era! What looked like an incomprehensible act in the yonder past from 1962 – 1986 has spectacularly been done by Uganda’s best president ever, Yoweri Museveni. There is a real paradigm shift in the centre of gravity on issues security in this country. To the degree that “peace, security and stability” meant not what they said, majority sound-minded Ugandans have every reason to, in a sigh of relief, reckon that, yes, this administration has pulled the country out of the doldrums where it had sunk during the period from 1966 – 1986 when generals, who nobody dared retire or didn’t do so out of their own volition, coughed and the country caught a cold.

Those dreaded generals, in state sponsored pogroms, would obliterate both civilian and military opponents in order to retain power; that in a sense confirms the confidence majority Ugandans have in the UPDF – the first ever truly national and professional army that does not, unlike its predecessors, pillage, rape or kill at will; its predecessors, with reckless abandon, would gleefully do all those unbridled.  

By the time Museveni and his compatriots took power in 1986, Uganda had seen a triple of repressive armies namely the King’s African Rifles, Uganda Army and the Uganda National Liberation Army; those outfits had all the hallmarks of the British colonial masters’ oppressive regime purposed to propagate their self-aggrandizement and gluttonous agenda through economic exploitation. Even when Idi Amin’s gross notoriety and brutality was detected while he served in Karamoja as middle level army officer, the wonderful colonialists never retired him in public interest; he was instead promoted and redeployed.

On Tuesday, August 31, 2022, the CIC presided over the colourful ceremony at which over 40 generals were retired. A couple of days earlier, hundreds of other officers ranging from majors to colonels had been retired.

In these epochal and definitely splendid times, the CIC has turned the page for the better; the huge numbers of generals who have retired from the UPDF spectacularly speak volumes about two things: one, that the peace, stability, security as well as the rule of law have been thoroughly entrenched since 1986 to the extent that it is now possible for those seniors to do other things after leaving that now revered vocation. Relatedly, the UPDF, on top of securing the country, unlike others before it, is constructively augmenting national development; they for instance have an engineering unit that amongst others built the pavilion at Kololo ceremonial grounds. They have been deeply involved in Pan-African peace keeping and enforcement missions beyond our borders like in the CAR, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the DRC and the world’s newest state – South Sudan just to mention but a few. Many of those retired gallant sons of Uganda are the reason why, in the spirit of Pan-Africanism, several countries have been largely pacified.   

The earlier armies were never harbingers of peace but rather disrupters of it; we are talking about a totally different animal; a defence force that has afforded Ugandans to wear smiles for now almost forty years uninterrupted. Uganda had become a hot-bath country for conflict until Yoweri Museveni restored us into the international files of honour.

Before 1986, no one would dare retire or question generals, not even peripherally or tangentially; they were untouchables with limitless power to do as they wished; in fact, attempting to retire one seemed labour-intensive and intellectual resources extensive and could easily result into a coup detat.

Our recessing opposition in their politics of symbolism and bravado antics won’t agree with this qualitative improvement in the conduct of public affairs by the Museveni administration – but they will grudgingly, as they seek for favourable political wings and good sound bites, acquiescence to the fact it is this very polity that has catapulted them into those very positions of responsibility they occupy – we hear of leaders of opposition and shadow ministers!

The post-independence Uganda armies squandered the opportunity of creating order as well as ensuring tranquillity in the country; they were, instead, caught flat-footed in the mire of not one but several failings. This president took over a country riven by pre-existing divisions, a population weary of the incessant insecurities, pillaging, despoliations, extra-judicial killings as well as economic stagnation. The war-time guns went silent eventually earning him accolades amongst voters in the country and beyond. By the UPDF proving to be the most disciplined army ever in post-independence Uganda, the CIC and the army have obliterated the incompetence thesis that dogged its predecessors.

Amb. Henry Mayega

Consul General

Uganda Consulate

Dubai, UAE              

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Some members of Parliament headed by Speaker Anita Among are up in arms and vehemently lamenting about the upcoming annual Nyege-Nyege festival to be held in Jinja. Among and her colleagues argue that the festival is an immorality that should not happen. They think to suggest that Uganda is purely a country of good morals, but that is in theory as opposed to practice.

What some of us know is that Nyege-Nyege is festival where Ugandans host their friends and others worldwide to celebrate humanity as they entertain, laugh, mingle, dance and sociialise. In this event, some people have been able to get husbands and wives, girlfriends and boyfriends, made new friends met relatives as well as created business opportunities.

Nyege-Nyege is a Ugandan thing that must be maintained and not condemned. Of recent we have had Kampala Carnival, where Kampalans have hosted others in celebration of humanity and its achievements. Nyege=Nyege is about entertainment and happiness of the people, it is an escape from the tough times characterised by the poor economy. People must left to enjoy themselves. Such events bring in the so-much needed dollars, used to pay the same MPs talking ill of such events.

If there are people who have failed good morals in Uganda, it is the politicians. For instance, the MPs have defiled the constitution for their own selfish interests; They were bribed to change the constitution two times not long ago. History will tell this immorality by the MPs for generations to come.

The MPs, as we know today, continue to increase salaries for themselves as the rest of the Ugandan citizens languish in poverty. They are given free cars, yet the salaries they earn can buy them their own vehicles. They are exploiting Ugandans to the fullest in the guise of being facilitated to serve the country better. The truth is that political leaders at various levels of governance are cheating Ugandans. These are not good morals and it is what they are teaching the young generation that corruption is good.

The country knows of MPs and councilors who have physically fought in parliament and council halls for their own selfish interest. Are  these good morals that they are teaching Ugandans? We remember what happened during the Age Limit and Third term removal from the constitution. We know that some MPs went against the wishes of their constituencies to vote in favour. Those MPs who went by what their voters told them [not to amend the constitution] were castigated by the powers that be, even up to now.

The MPs castigating Nyege-Nyege should be reminded of Jesus story in the Bible where dared to some to stone a prostitute. He reminded them that they were sinners just like the prostitute they wanted to stone to death. The Ugandans MPs therefore cannot claim to be morally upright than those that are going to participate in Nyege-Nyege.

We further know that some MPs left their original political parties, just because they were promised jobs and money by the dominant side. On this, the MPs cannot tell us to be principled and of good standing. The truth is that Uganda needs salvation, but it should begin with the leaders at the top. This thing of say of ‘Do what I tell you to do and not what I do’ is rubbish.

Over the years, we have had stories of MPs fathering children outside their marriage, committing adultery, and using housemaids. Some of the MPs have been accused of orchestrating domestic violence. These examples, and several others show our parliament is full of people, who like other Ugandans live just because God is merciful to human beings. There is no one who is pure in the eyes of the Lord. Even religious leaders in the country and world over have failed the morality and purity test for they have had sexual intercourse with their juniors and people’s wives.

Nyege-Nyege, or no Nyege-Nyege, Uganda is a country where morals are questionable. We live because God is merciful to us all, so some politicians should take themselves to be morally upright and pure in whatever they do. The executive should let Nyege-Nyege happen.

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