Uganda Peoples Congress
National Secretariat
Plot 8-10 Kampala Road, Uganda House,
P. O. Box 9206, Kampala
phone/Fax:+256-41-236748

Militarization of Governance is a Threat to National Security

28 March 2007

1. Uganda Peoples Congress has consistently warned the country about the NRM strategy of militarizing all the sectors in our country. This militarization is deeply rooted in the NRM's practice, ideology and philosophy of managing public affairs by forceful means.
2. UPC notes with great concern that, this militaristic mentality and selfish strategy of governing our country is threatening the entire national security and programmes like poverty eradication under BonnaBagagawale scheme.
3. On the security front, the NRM continues mchaka-mchaka programme at the National Leadership Institute of Kyakwanzi that should have ended with the new multiparty dispensation. This is not only undermining the implementation of BonaBagagawale programme but the principles and values of multiparty democracy.
4. The Sub-County chiefs and LCs who should have been trained in managing small scale enterprises, modernising agriculture, co-operative societies management and fiscal discipline, have instead undergone military training and are bound to be subjected to military orders and mentality in handling the public and eventually end up as members of the reserve force.
5. The Minister of State for micro- finance, Gen. Salim Saleh, who is still the commander of the Reserve Force and who also has no sparkling record of managing business well as evidenced in his handling of Grain Millers Uganda Ltd, Uganda Commercial Bank and Greenland Bank, is the architect of Bonnabaggabwale programme.
6. UPC is wondering whether the Bonna Baggagawale cadres have become part of the Reserve Force and if so, will they be free to speak out in case of abuse of the programme? Won't they face the fate of Sgt Musoke Gitta, who after exposing the ghost soldiers ended up being dismissed, tortured and hounded several times? UPC advise that the government should completely avoid the military and security involvement in the implementation of micro finance programmes. This is necessary to protect the civilian population who suffered so much at the hands of LDUS and other local government security agencies.
7. In the same spirit, UPC had earlier warned that, recruitment of auxiliary forces such as the Arrow Boys and Amuka Boys be done within a legal framework where their legal rights, terms and conditions of service would be clearly spelt out. UPC was castigated by the government but now government has not paid Amuka and Arrow boys for months. As a result most of them have disappeared with state guns which is bound to lead to violent crimes and banditry associated with proliferation of weapons.UPC calls upon the government to immediately pay the salaries and benefits of these auxiliary forces and seriously embark on their demobilisation and disarmament with a strategy of re-integrating them into the national social and economic life.
8. Finally, UPC urges the NRM government to genuinely operationalise multiparty democracy by creating a national army and security forces committed to democratic governance and to establish a comprehensive national programme for a peaceful disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former security officers and combatants into civilian life.

For God and my Country

Mama Miria Kalule Obote

President, Uganda Peoples Congress