Tuesday was a usual day at the people power headquarters in Kamwokya as NUP principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu received swarms of new party members joining the party from other political groups.
Dozens of youths from the ruling National Resistance Movement party and others from the professional boxers fraternity were among the visitors who had visited the Kamwokya outfit to swap their loyalty to the new movement.
What made news out of all was the picture of “a UPDF officer” donned in military fatigue, a rare reserve for the national army but with a People Power red beret.
The photo was consequently shared on social media widely, attracting wild jubilations from party supporters who interpreted the gesture as representative of army support for the group’s cause of opposing the government in power.
Just like other public servants, security agencies such as the national army – UPDF, Uganda Police and the Uganda Prison force among others are by law barred from taking part in partisan politics. As such, the gesture at Kamwokya yesterday left many wondering.
What’s quite strange about the officer in question is that his name tag had been deliberately dismembered so it could be so hard to reveal his proper identification in case the authorities needed to take action.
Neither did the leadership at Kamwokya bothered to introduce their important visitor, drawing further suspicions from the public.
As the public was struggling with unanswered questions about the officer’s identify, the UPDF came out to clear air on the matter.
The newly appointment army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Flavia Nalweyiso said the force cannot take the circulating picture for granted and that the force had already started on investigations.
“Pictures of an unidentified individual in UPDF dress, with unclear name tag and covered shoulder lapels and with a people power beret and mask was posted on social media to cheaply and desperately portray some members of the force as partisan.
The UPDF takes strong exception to this criminal scheme and already investigations are underway to establish the identity and apprehend the culprit who is not a member of the UPDF,” said Byekwaso through her known twitter handle.
If the report from the army mouthpiece is to be believed, coupled with the nameless tag by the man in uniform, it would mean that the incident was a stunt with the aim of duping the public to believe what the plotters intended to achieve.
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