Museveni vows to fight, defeat insecurity in Karamoja 

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has vowed to again defeat the resurgence of insecurity in the Karamoja sub region and other areas.

Speaking at the pass out of the 4th intake of 6,237 Local Defence Personnel who underwent a six months basic military training at Oliver Tambo Military Training School in Kaweweta, Nakaseke district on Saturday, Museveni said Ugandans shouldn’t worry because these are isolated incidents.

“The security situation in the country is good. There are a few little things which are easy to deal with, like the cattle rustling in Karamoja, that will be dealt with. Then for the ADF in Congo, your colleagues are dealing with that,” said Museveni on Friday.

Of late the Uganda People’s Defence Forces has intensified operation in the Karamoja sub region to counter the resurgence of cattle rustler who are now on rampage stealing animal and killing people in their wake.

In press statement recently, the UPDF said it has so far killed more than 300 Karimojong warriors, captured many others and also recovered more than 100 guns.

Meanwhile, Museveni congratulated the new soldiers for persevering through the six months training to finish the course, and noted that these will serve as Local Defense personnel for a short time and will later be integrated into the army because many are educated and have acquired knowledge on how to use modern weapons very quickly.

The group comprises 168-degree holders, 318 diploma holders and 1, 277 with certificates in various disciplines. The rest have Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) and below. The President encouraged the new recruits to maintain discipline and ensure good health at all times.

“You should, therefore, not endanger your health with risky behaviour like alcohol. Once you keep your health and follow the regulations of the army and you train, the future is very bright for you,” Museveni noted.

Earlier, he commissioned water works to serve Kaweweta Recruits Training School, Fort Samora Machel Special Forces School and Oliver Reginald Tambo School of Leadership and Pan-African Center of Excellence all in the same vicinity. He also commissioned the new road network connecting all the institutions at Kaweweta. A total of 10 out of the 17kms have already been tarmacked.

The President sounded a stern warning to all those encroaching on the army land to vacate immediately after reports that officials at the training institute are finding challenges of widening the training ground due to encroachment. “They should get out. Because I’m the one who told the army to come here because I was here fighting. I know the land myself,” said Museveni.

According to the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the recruits should brace themselves for more training in the specialized units where they will be deployed for better results. “To the formations and the units that are taking these brand-new soldiers, make sure you continue to skill them and mission train them to enable them to become more proficient,” Mbadi said, adding that in all specialized formations, they have revamped the training schools.

The Camp Commandant, Brig. Gen. John Bosco Ruhesi, said the objective of the course was to train selected patriotic young Ugandan men and women and prepare them into combat worthy, disciplined and robust and progressive members of the defense forces and this has been well achieved. “The course covered both military and ideological subjects that were mentally and physically demanding,” said Ruhesi.

He noted that the recruits received packages on different topics that include; attitude change for socio-economic transformation, patriotism for socio-economic transformation, retirement sensitisation, gender equity in the UPDF, the importance of ideological training and the role of UPDF in the security of Uganda. The recruits demonstrated to the President skills in self-defense, short- and long-range shooting among others. They also swore the oath of allegiance to serve and defend the sovereignty of Uganda.