Muntu to UPDF officers: Use your heads, stop being used by politicians

The leader of Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) political party Gen. Gregory Mugisha Muntu has warned top army officers to desist from being used by politicians to fulfill their partisan desires.

Muntu’s remarks follows Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)’s decision to civilians from wearing red berets, which are associated to the People Power political pressure movement.

This order came a few months after the People Power movement officially declared the red beret as their symbol.

“The dress code for the UPDF has been gazetted. The action was endorsed by the top organs of the army which also commended the dress committee for concluding the task assigned to it years back,” army spokesperson Richard Karemire said.

Gen Muntu who spoke to this website during the National Dialogue on advancing citizens audit for sustainable development on Tuesday said the ruling government to using the army to suppress the opposition side.

“First, all military berets have a UPDF logo which is different from that of people power. Secondly, in the military, no soldier is allowed to wear only a cap but full combat so how will the people putting on red berets only be similar to the army?” Muntu asked.

Muntu who is also the former Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) said that the military is allowed to arrest a civilian who puts on their full combat or berets with their logo only.

“This is a sign of fear by the regime, however, I want also to advise my comrades to treat people the way they also want to treated when they no longer have the power and authority.”

He said that the army is for the people of Uganda but the NRM government is selfishly owning it.

“Since independence we have had three army formations, we wouldn’t want our army to be infiltrated by selfish politicians,” he said.

Muntu also advised the minister of security Gen Elly Tumwine to start investigating People power as a political movement other than accusing them of associating with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender (LGBT) and cryptocurrency.

Last week while at NBTV during the Morning breeze show Gen Tumwine said that all red movements across the world such as People Power are trading in terrorist activities and are being supported by LGBT.

“There is a threat to the world called the Red Movement managed by some few individuals who want to break the stability of the established order of things. It’s associated with LGBT and CryptoCurrency. In Uganda, you see it and they’re taking advantage of the very many young people. Because this group is vulnerable, they become an easy target,” the minister said.

However, Muntu advised the army general to stop blackmailing people in opposition just because their ideas are different from them.

“Today you are in power but tomorrow you will be powerless and you will be judged by your comments. If you keep on torturing the opposition where will you go when they get into power? How would you want to be treated when you are opposition?” he inquired.