By Hon. Adolf Mwesige
MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND VETERAN AFFAIRS
Uganda’s defence and security posture improved a great deal between the year 2016- 2021, thanks to the interventions of and a number of initiatives by the ruling government, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
The party’s president, Gen. Yoweri Museveni, won a sixth term of office on January 14 this year on account of many achievements over the past five years, among which included visible progress in the defence and security sector.
In 2016, the ruling Government, through the NRM Manifesto, stated its aspirations in transforming the Ugandan society from a low income society to a competitive middle income country.
Within the NRM manifesto, the Defence Sector identified five key commitments to guide all Policies and Plans for the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs in the five years (2016-2021). Thereafter, the President further gave Strategic Directives to the Defence sector clearly spelling out specific interventions in achieving the set out plans.
The five commitments we identified were; continued professionalisation and modernisation of defence and security forces, developing defence and Security infrastructure, strengthening research and development, promoting production for wealth creation and self-sustainability and finally, strengthening internal and external security.
The president and commander in chief of the armed forces specifically directed the ministry to concentrate on the following.
1. Relocation of Air Force elements to Nakasongola
2. Adequate provision for acquisition of classified stores
3. Funding redevelopment Luwero Industries
4. Budget provision for adequate feeding for the army
5. Purchase uniforms and boots from local manufacturers
6. Reduce expenditure on Usage of Air force fuel
7. Installation of Solar Power in Barracks to reduce the current
Electricity bill
8. Drilling boreholes in barracks to reduce current water bill
9. Development of the National Military Referral Hospital
10. Pursue the pre-financing option for construction of the 30,000 houses for UPDF.
11. Come up with a proposal on salary enhancement for scientists in the Army.
Some of the equipment acquired
12. Gradually and affordably increase the salaries of soldiers until they come in line with salaries of primary school teachers.
13. Organize Veterans to benefit from Operation Wealth creation and to engage in income generating activities as Government considers payment of the shs 536bn pension and gratuity arrears.
14. Funding the Uganda Air cargo to enable them repair the grounded aircraft.
15. Increase the income generating activities for soldiers’ spouses to include weaving, soap making and making clothes using handlooms.
The following were some of the many milestones the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs registered over the last five years and hopes to do more in the new political term.
We installed the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system in Kampala Metropolian Area, along major highways and other parts of the country. This has enhanced the containment of crime.
We supported civilian authorities in the implementation of non-war operations like the Operation Wealth Creation and managing disasters such as; the landslides in the Bugisu, floods in Teso and Rwenzori, locust invasion in Karamoja, Teso, Lango and Acholi sub regions, the removal of the floating islands at the Nalubaale Electricity Power Dam in Jinja and providing support to health personnel during pandemics such as Ebola and COVID-19, among others. The security forces also played a leading role in the distribution of food to our people in Kampala during the COVID-19 lockdown.
We strengthened the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) engineering brigade and engineering departments of the Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Services.
We expanded the army production unit (National Enterprises Corporation) by setting up subsidiaries, namely NEC Katonga Farm, Luweero Industries, NEC Construction Works and Engineering, NEC Hire Tractor Scheme and NEC UZIMA.
We facilitated the growth of Wazalendo SACCO, the 4th most successful Savings and Credit Cooperative Society in Africa and the most successful in Uganda owned and managed by soldiers. Wazalendo SACCO’s assets were worth UGX480.9 billion as of 30th June 2020. The SACCO has since inception in September 2005 disbursed 294,351 loans worth UGX1.23 trillion to its members at very low interest rates currently at 13%. Similar SACCOs have been replicated in the other security forces.
We promoted import substitution to stabilise balance trade on the international market, the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) the NRM government has supported the Uganda Prisons Service to expand its capacity in industrial production, especially furniture to meet the furniture demands of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other institutions as an import substitution strategy.
We recruited 4000 soldiers annually to replenish the UPDF manpower levels affected by retirement and attrition as a result of operations both in and outside Uganda.
In addition to the recruits, the Ministry has recruited over 26,000 LDUs to compliment the regular force in sustaining peace and stability in the Country.
We have improved general staff welfare of service personnel through salary enhancement where a Private’s salary was enhanced from shs 385,000 to shs 485,000 and generally pacified Karamoja and surrounding areas of Acholi, Teso, Bugisu and Sebei through the disarmament operations.
Construction works of a 250-bed Military Referral Hospital at lower Mbuya is ongoing. The OPD, theatre, maternity wards, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), emergency, radiology, surgical wards, administration block, VIP and VVIP wards are under construction. Currently the general progress is at 54%.
The ministry has also presented a requirement of 3.7trn to Government to fund the project for the UPDF Barracks Infrastructure Project of 30,000. All the project stages (Project Concept, Profile, Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility) were developed and submitted to Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for financing.
The ministry renovated accommodation houses at 02 Div HQs, Muhooti barracks, Staff quarters at 03 Div, Air Force accommodation Flats at Nakasongola and Gulu barracks and housing blocks at SFC Nsamizi in Entebbe among others. Constructed SFC accommodation blocks Lunyo barracks and Service Bde. Other infrastructure included Marine Pier.