The Electoral Commission has declared 10 Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) officers elected, with Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen Sam Okiding walking away with the lion’s share of votes. For the first time in decades, the Chief of Defence Forces will not be among the UPDF representatives in Parliament, a changing of the guard that raised eyebrows. In the election conducted yesterday at the Land Forces Headquarters in Bombo, Luweero District, Lt Gen Okiding topped the list with 340 votes. He was trailed by Lt Gen James Mugira, the managing director of the National Enterprise Corporation, with 303 votes, and Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, the deputy coordinator of Operations Wealth Creation, who secured 282 votes. Brig Gen David Gonyi, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, came in fourth with 266 votes. Maj Gen Henry Moses Matsiko, Joint Staff Political Commissar, followed with 251 votes, while Maj Gen James Kinalwa, Joint Staff of Human Resource Management, garnered 241 votes.
Maj Gen Joseph Ssemwanga, the deputy commander of Land Forces, received 198 votes. Col Night Ikiriza from the Special Forces Command, Col Sylvia Meeme from the Military Police, and Col Christine Nekesa from the Air Force were elected as female representatives. Only Lt Gen Mugira, Maj Gen Matsiko, and Maj Gen Kavuma had served in the 11th Parliament. Those who did not return include Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, Gen David Muhoozi, Lt Gen Wilson Mbadi, Lt Gen Peter Elweru (rtd), Col Dr Victor Nekesa, Lt Col Charity Bainababo, and Maj Dr Jennifer Alanyo. Col Chris Magezi, the acting spokesman of the Defence Public Information Office, said the Defence Forces Council meeting was chaired by President and Commander-in-Chief Gen Yoweri Museveni. ‘The members of the Defence Forces Council include Members of the UPDF High Command, persons who were senior officers of the army as at January 26, 1986, chiefs and directors of services, commandants of training institutions, brigade and battalion commanders, and officers commanding equivalent units of the Defence Forces,’ Col Magezi said.
During the Constitutional Assembly, some legislators opposed military representation in Parliament, but government ministers argued it would allow the armed forces to keep a finger on the pulse of national politics. On January 30, 2021, President Museveni told UPDF representatives that their role in Parliament was to act as a ‘conveyor belt of national issues and a listening post.’ The 10 UPDF representatives elected through the Army Council meeting are chosen in line with regulations guiding Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which also include workers, youth, and persons with disabilities.
List of UPDF MPs in the 12th Parliament:
Lt Gen. Sam Okiding – 346
Col. Sylvia Meeme – 314
Col. Night Ikiriza – 307
Lt. Gen. James Mugira – 303
Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma – 282
Brig. David Gonyi – 266
Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko – 261
Col. Victor Nekesa – 261
Maj. Gen. James Kinalwa – 241
Brig. Joseph Semwanga -198