The army in Uganda has not become a mercenary by accident, in Uganda People Defense Force (UPDF), reshuflles, promotion and appointments are inconstitent and based on personal intents of despot Museveni. 

Rank promotion in despot Museveni’s Uganda is not based on merit rather on readiness to serve brutal bloody interests of the CIC. For those that have followed the modus operandi of criminal tyrant Museveni, they know how things work in corridors of power. 

Despot Museveni’s ego and hunger for power has always pushed him to break rules and in so doing he needs brainless UPDF servicemen who help him carry dirty laundry. Normally, those are people who are ready to shed blood, betray others or loot the country’s resources in his favor and in exchange for unmeritable promotions.  

To cling to power, Museveni has always based promotion and appointments on tribalism and sectarianism as royalty tools. Many of Bahima senior officers or generals are always assigned with tasks of command even when they don’t have aptitude, ability or qualifications to be leaders. 

Malice, intrigues and pretenses are key behaviors of those officers who are often referred to in the community of Baganda as “Gambanogu.” They have instilled the culture of impunity to the extent that they often quarrel or engage in regular bickering with their colleagues. Many recall the recent incident in AMISOM where a Muhima soldier shot dead his senior officer after telling him he doesn’t owe him any respect.

Sources in the army say that Museveni has promoted UPDF officers contrary to the UPDF Act, 2005, bypassing the Commissions Board and had even promoted officers already in retirement or dead. One has to recall the 2019 case where a dozen of MPs had threatened to sue criminal despot Museveni for promoting retired and dead officers in a drive to continue empty national coffers.

In a military junta like Uganda; whatever happens in the army is the business of the despotic ruler Museveni alone, promotions and appointments are not made on merit but on what tribe or ethnicity and region one hails from; nepotism, elimination of dissenting voices have led to demoralization of the uniformed personnel thus increasing the crime rate in the banana republic.