Museveni courts army with 2021 in focus
President Yoweri Museveni has started courting the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) around the country in another move political critics claim is a campaign card.
Museveni who is also the Commander –in –Chief of the armed forces is currently on a countrywide tour of UPDF barracks apparently to acquaint self with the situation there and the challenges soldiers are facing.
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Yesterday, the President met and interacted with officers of the 3rd infantry Division in Moroto Army Barracks in Karamoja, Moroto as well as the 5th Division in Gulu District.
Speaks about liberation, makes sweet promises
While meeting the men in uniform, Museveni dressed in military fatigues reminded them of the principles of a liberation army including; Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-Economic Transformation and Democracy.
“What is the mission of a liberation Army? It is to work for the prosperity of Uganda. How? By believing that Uganda can protect the interest of the people. So the mission of UPDF is Patriotism, love your country, think more of Uganda; don’t think of Teso only but of Uganda, East Africa and Africa for our prosperity,” he said.
To ensure the officers are comfortable while protecting Ugandans, Museveni pledged to handle their accommodation and basic issues.
According to Museveni, parliament will be required to give go ahead to government to secure funding so that the engineering sector of the army can start building housing units for officers in barracks.
“In under 10 years at completion, we hope to have built at least 30,000 two bedroomed housing units for all our soldiers in the barracks,” he said.
He also promised “necessary’ education to the children of soldiers through rehabilitating and investing in army schools.
Saving
Museveni did not go quiet on his gospel for wealth creation, extending it to the armed men and their wives.
He advised spouses of soldiers to engage in income generating enterprises such as weaving of sweaters, among others, and made a contribution to the Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization (SACCO) of the wives of soldiers of the 3rd Division.
To their husbands, Museveni advised them to save wisely and invest the money they get from their Wazalendo Sacco.
Timing of tour
The tour comes weeks after the President was endorsed by the NRM CEC, and parliamentary caucus as the sole candidate for the upcoming Presidential elections in 2021.
While at a retreat in Kyankwanzi last month, NRM MPs endorsed the resolution to have President Museveni run for presidency in the forthcoming 2021 elections.
The party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) had earlier granted Museveni a life presidency card by unanimously endorsing him as party leader and flag bearer for the upcoming elections in 2021 and beyond but the parliamentary caucus sitting in Kyankwanzi engraved the resolution.
“We are at a most critical and delicate juncture in the process of transformation of our country. This cannot be the point to let go of our visionary and unifier,” said NRM spokesperson, Rogers Mulindwa in a statement.
“We need his firm guidance as we execute a qualitative leap from backwardness to modernity,”Mulindwa said.
“We need his firm guidance in mentoring and growing the ideological, political and technical cadreship for protecting the gains of our revolution as well as securing the future of the Ugandan and African people.”
President Museveni accepted their endorsement and promised to deliver victory.
