The Kabale Resident District Commissioner Darius Nandinda has threatened to arrest anyone who will be found wearing red berets belonging to National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
Red berets, one of the signature symbols for People Power/NUP gazetted by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) as a military wear and barred civilians from using them or face the law.
According to Nandinda, Civilians found wearing or selling them, would be prosecuted under military law.
Nandinda speaking to the NRM Party reconciliation meeting that was gathered at White Horse Inn Hotel in Kabale on Saturday added that people power only lacked guns to be categorized as a militia group in Uganda.
“You really witnessed what people power boys had in their stores. How can you label a jacket like the military? This was dangerous….they only lacked guns to be called a militia group” Nandinda said.
In 2019, government gazetted the red beret and other pieces of military wear as “property of the state.” It warned people who wear or sell them that they would be prosecuted under military law, which can lead to a life sentence.
However, people power/NUP supporters have continued to wear the berets.
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