The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has cautioned citizens against taking for granted the country’s long period of stability, saying they should instead safeguard the prevailing peace. Speaking yesterday during community outreach activities ahead of the national Tarehe Sita celebrations in February, the Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, Brig Gen Abdul Rugamayo, said the freedoms Ugandans enjoy must be exercised responsibly, warning that instability can return if the country is not vigilant.
‘We try to protect the gains we have made, especially in security. Uganda has had uninterrupted governance for almost 40 years,’ Brig Gen Rugamayo said.
‘We want people to understand that and not play with it, because it can run away from them at any time if we are not careful,’ he added. He pointed to Uganda’s neighbours as examples of what happens when peace collapses. ‘In [DR] Congo, a country of 80 million people, more than 600,000 are here as refugees. South Sudan gained Independence 14 years ago with oil and a booming economy, but they lost peace, now, about one million South Sudanese are here,’ Gen Rugamayo said.
His remarks fall on a campaign season that had been peaceful until last month, when it took a sharp turn after security forces started brutalising supporters of the National Unity Platform party and teargassing the party’s presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine. The horrendous incidents have been reported in Mbarara District, Kiruhura District, Gulu City, and Kawempe and Nakawa in the capital Kampala. Gen Rugamayo also cited the situations in Sudan and Chad, once industrially strong but weakened by conflict, as reminders of how quickly stability can fade.
‘Ugandans should not misuse the freedom they have. Peace came because some Ugandans fought for it. It is we, the UPDF, who joined arms to fight for you, and we are still here with a strong army,’ he said, adding that unlike countries battling insurgencies, Uganda remains fully administered, with security agencies operating within their constitutional mandate. Preparations for this year’s Tarehe Sita celebrations are underway, with the national event scheduled for the Kigezi region.
‘This time it is in Kigezi [Sub-region]. Last year it was in Masaka, the previous year in Busoga, and next year another area will be chosen,’ Brig Gen Rugamayo said.
As part of the commemorative activities, the UPDF is conducting community work in Kasokoso, Nakawa Market, and Bugolobi, including cleaning exercises and basic health services. ‘In the little we can do, we want people to know that our children are there and they care for the community. We work with sister forces because no society is 100 percent perfect, but we try our best,’ Gen Rugamayo added.
Nakawa Market
At Nakawa Market, local leaders welcomed the efforts, with market master Joel Isiabirye praising the army’s engagement but urging that such support should be sustained throughout the year. ‘Let this not only happen during this time. It should be continuous because it is the people’s army,’ Mr Isiabirye said. ‘They [UPDF] have done well, and the market is now clean, but they should ensure that people’s peace is not violated,’ he added. He also appealed to KCCA and the UPDF to help pave the market to reduce mud and dust.