Following complaints by Land Forces Commander, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, over what he called a criminal cartel running the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, the foot soldiers can now start to smile.
TOP INTELLIGENCE has learnt that following media reports recently in which the Gen Muhoozi was quoted telling friends he would resign from the army next year if Defence officials continue frustrating the most crucial service arm of the armed forces, panicky Ministry of Defence accountants wired money early this week to the Land Forces vote.
TOP INTELLIGENCE has been tipped that the money that Gen Muhoozi had requested for in order to improve the conditions in the service force has been wired.
“The Shs 20 billion was wired immediately. These guys panicked and they have since learnt that this time, the terrain is different,” said the source.
Deputy Army Spokesman Col Ronald Kakurungu told TOP INTELLIGENCE he was not aware of this but if it has happened it must be through the normal budgetary allocations.
“All services have their allocations in the budget and they duly receive their money accordingly,” he said
Background:
According to media reports this week, Gen Muhoozi was reported to have asked for Shs 20bn to improve the soldiers’ accommodation facilities and boost security at various military bases but the Ministry of Defence turned a blind eye.
“We (Land Forces) asked for only Shs 20bn to sort out pertinent issues of accommodation, welfare and security at Bombo (General Military headquarters), Makindye barracks and the Motorized Brigade in Nakasongola but the criminal cartel at the Ministry of Defence has been tossing our office around,” Muhoozi said.
“If my soldiers’ problems are not sorted, I will retire from the army by next year,” he threatened.
Gen Muhoozi who commanded the elite Special Forces Command (SFC) before taking up the Land Forces command, was shocked to find Bombo in a sorry state with dilapidated structures for offices and soldiers’ accommodation.
According to Muhoozi, Division Commanders are living like paupers and the general military headquarters, which in other countries, are the most heavily fortified compounds, lacks a security wall fence.
Muhoozi reportedly said he could not continue serving as a Commander of the Land Forces “when my forces are living like cavemen,” emphasizing, “Bombo is a real dungeon. It is a real disaster,” he added.
Following Gen Muhoozi’s frustrations, a Bush War hero, Retired Col Fred Mwesigye, agreed with him and spoke out on the Land Forces’ poor conditions.
According to the bush war hero, soldiers need access to economic empowerment projects through operation wealth creation so as to improve their welfare, reported www.pearlpost.co.ug, a Kampala news website.
According to this website, Col Mwesigye said that one way to improve welfare is to set up a full-fledged duty free shop for the defence forces.
“As detailed in the article about the issues facing soldier’s welfare, one way to improve the welfare is for the ministry of defence to set up a full-fledged duty free shop for the defence forces” he tweeted.
“In addition to fully operationalizing the duty free shop, the wealth creation officers deployed at every sub county could identify, document all veterans and soldiers in that particular sub county so that they also benefit from the wealth creation programs so that they thread,” he added.
TOP INTELLIGENCE has further learnt that the problems in the Land Forces have been perennial with its former Commander Gen Peter Elweru having lamented about it in a top level meeting some two years ago but his plea fell on deaf ears.
“Imagine if one day I am removed from this position, what will I ever show for having done for the forces,” a source told us.
Gen Elweru, who is now the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, was reportedly never listened to.