What is behind this spate of army stories -- e.g. Lt. Col. runs away, Porter report corners Kazini & Saleh, parties ok'd, etc etc? Anyone out there withh an ear to the ground picked up any vibes yet?
Now, given that the rank and file have no uniforms, no shoes, etc it is interesting that officers are being summoned so urgent to be 'measured' for 'new ceremonial uniforms' ...
All army officers called to Bombo
By Alex B. Atuhaire & David Kibirige
All officers from the rank of lieutenant have been summoned to the Army General Headquarters in Bombo.
Army Commander Maj. Gen. James Kazini sent out a radio message on Monday asking all such officers to report and have their measurements taken for new ceremonial uniforms.
Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza yesterday said the exercise starts tomorrow.
The exercise has previously been conducted at the respective division headquarters. Because of the change to Bombo, non-official military sources speculated that the exercise is a "disguised head count" to determine the number of army deserters and defectors.
But Maj. Bantariza denied the exercise is anything to do with head counting.
�That is outright speculation. The purpose was made very clear and if somebody wants to add on something, that would be his or her own view.�
Maj. Bantariza said the radio message advised the respective army divisions to prepare schedules for their officers to report to Bombo.
�As they say, if the mountains cannot go to Moses, then Moses must go to the mountains,� Maj. Bantariza said, with some touch of philosophy.
He said Aladam, the company making UPDF uniforms, is unable to visit each division.
The exercise comes a fortnight after a senior officer, Col. Edison Muzoora, fled the country.
Armed security men searched Col. Muzoora�s home in Bushenyi district on Sunday, according to his eldest daughter, Ms Generous Muzoora.
Ms Muzoora yesterday said the men in plainclothes took away her father�s photographs.
�They did not take anything else,� she said by telephone from their home in Bushenyi.
�We haven�t talked to dad. He never talked to me before he left. We don�t know where he is,� Ms Muzoora said.
The Army has, meanwhile, quickly shot down rumours that Col. Fred Bogere, one of the 10 Army Members of Parliament, has also fled the country.
The rumour spread fast after Mbarara Municipality MP Winnie Byanyima told a press conference she addressed in Kampala yesterday that ano! ther col onel had fled the country.
But Maj. Bantariza was quick to respond.
�Col. Bogere has not fled. He is just lying low because he is doing exams [at the Makerere University],� Bantariza said.
The Monitor visited the university's Law Development Centre but found Col. Bogere had moved to a library on the main campus.
Five of his course-mates however confirmed they had been with the colonel moments before The Monitor arrived.
Col. Bogere later spoke to The Monitor on phone at about 7:30 p.m., and said he has "no intentions whatsoever" of running away.
"I am preparing for my exams and reading very hard. That is why I have been out of circulation. Otherwise I have no intentions or reasons whatsoever of fleeing the country," the colonel said.
Col. Bogere was the Army's Chief of Logistics and Engineering before returning to school.
February 18, 2003 13:50:01
Army Commander Maj. Gen. James Kazini sent out a radio message on Monday asking all such officers to report and have their measurements taken for new ceremonial uniforms.
Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza yesterday said the exercise starts tomorrow.
The exercise has previously been conducted at the respective division headquarters. Because of the change to Bombo, non-official military sources speculated that the exercise is a "disguised head count" to determine the number of army deserters and defectors.
But Maj. Bantariza denied the exercise is anything to do with head counting.
�That is outright speculation. The purpose was made very clear and if somebody wants to add on something, that would be his or her own view.�
Maj. Bantariza said the radio message advised the respective army divisions to prepare schedules for their officers to report to Bombo.
�As they say, if the mountains cannot go to Moses, then Moses must go to the mountains,� Maj. Bantariza said, with some touch of philosophy.
He said Aladam, the company making UPDF uniforms, is unable to visit each division.
The exercise comes a fortnight after a senior officer, Col. Edison Muzoora, fled the country.
Armed security men searched Col. Muzoora�s home in Bushenyi district on Sunday, according to his eldest daughter, Ms Generous Muzoora.
Ms Muzoora yesterday said the men in plainclothes took away her father�s photographs.
�They did not take anything else,� she said by telephone from their home in Bushenyi.
�We haven�t talked to dad. He never talked to me before he left. We don�t know where he is,� Ms Muzoora said.
The Army has, meanwhile, quickly shot down rumours that Col. Fred Bogere, one of the 10 Army Members of Parliament, has also fled the country.
The rumour spread fast after Mbarara Municipality MP Winnie Byanyima told a press conference she addressed in Kampala yesterday that ano! ther col onel had fled the country.
But Maj. Bantariza was quick to respond.
�Col. Bogere has not fled. He is just lying low because he is doing exams [at the Makerere University],� Bantariza said.
The Monitor visited the university's Law Development Centre but found Col. Bogere had moved to a library on the main campus.
Five of his course-mates however confirmed they had been with the colonel moments before The Monitor arrived.
Col. Bogere later spoke to The Monitor on phone at about 7:30 p.m., and said he has "no intentions whatsoever" of running away.
"I am preparing for my exams and reading very hard. That is why I have been out of circulation. Otherwise I have no intentions or reasons whatsoever of fleeing the country," the colonel said.
Col. Bogere was the Army's Chief of Logistics and Engineering before returning to school.
February 18, 2003 13:50:01
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