By GAAKI KIGAMBO The EastAfrican
In Summary
- Gen Nyakairima was made Minister of Internal Affairs while Lt Gen Koreta was appointed ambassador to an as yet to be vacant station.
- Analysts say that the departure from the army’s top leadership of people who could lay claim to having fought in the guerrilla war that brought the current government to power in 1986 represents a significant shift.
President Museveni has dropped Gen Aronda
Nyakairima, the Chief of Defence Forces, and Lt Gen Ivan Koreta, his
deputy — the only remaining members of the core group that took part in
the guerrilla war that brought him to power in 1986, who still held top
positions in the army.
They were replaced with Lt Gen Edward Katumba
Wamala, formerly Commander of Land Forces, who was promoted to General,
and Charles Angina, formerly Chief of Staff of Land Forces, who was
promoted from Major General to Lieutenant General.
Gen Nyakairima was made Minister of Internal
Affairs while Lt Gen Koreta was appointed ambassador to an as yet to be
vacant station.
The changes were made on Thursday night, on the
heels of a meeting of the Military High Command, the army’s highest
decision-making organ.
Gen Nyakairima appears as one of the targets in
the internal memo that Gen David Sejusa wrote to the Director General of
the Internal Security Organisation to investigate claims of a plan to
assassinate senior government officials opposed to a rumoured scheme by
President Museveni to have his son, Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba, succeed
him.
Although Lt Gen Koreta is likely to slide silently
into his new role, given his affable character, Gen Nyakairima faces
the task of working directly with the Inspector General of Police, Lt
Gen Kale Kayihura, whose docket constitutes the largest vote in the
ministry and is seen as an effective controller of security alongside
Brig Muhoozi, who commands the Special Forces that includes all
specialised units of the army.
Sources privy to the inside workings of the
military and security say the two men have long had icy relations.
For instance, during the last general election, the two clashed over who ultimately had control of security.
For instance, during the last general election, the two clashed over who ultimately had control of security.
Whereas Lt Gen Kayihura argued that elections were
a civil process and thus naturally the responsibility of the police,
Gen Nyakairima insisted elections tended to threaten national security
and as such were the responsibility of the army.
In Lt Gen Kayihura’s tenure as IGP, the power and
influence of the police as well as that of the Special Forces have grown
even as those of the army dwindled.
Analysts say that the departure from the army’s
top leadership of people who could lay claim to having fought in the
guerrilla war that brought the current government to power in 1986
represents a significant shift.
In other changes, five of those promoted formerly
worked in the presidential guard unit before it was transformed into a
Command. For instance, Brig Wilson Mbadi, who was promoted to Maj Gen
and appointed Joint Chief of Staff had, until very recently, been
President Museveni’s aide de camp.
The position of JCOS is vital as a monitoring
point for the three service positions: Land Forces, Air Forces, and
General Administration.
Besides Maj Gen Mbadi is Brig David Muhoozi,
formerly Commander Air Defence Division, who was promoted to Maj Gen and
appointed Commander Land Forces; Brig Samuel Turyagyenda, Commander
Airforce, who was promoted to Major General.
There is also Brig Leopold Kyanda, formerly Chief of Personnel and Administration, who was appointed Chief of Staff Land Forces; and Col Emmanuel Kanyesigye, formerly 5th Division Operations Officer, who was transferred to command the 4th Division.
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