Perhaps in response to sustained attacks from the political opposition such as now jailed political activist Dr. Kizza Besigye and Kira municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the government has introduced a bill to formally recognize the Special Forces Command-SFC as a branch of the UPDF.
In a bill that was introduced to parliament for the first time by Deputy Defense Minister Huda Oleru, the government now wants to amend section two of the UPDF Act 2005 to provide for the SFC and the Reserve Force. These will join, the Land Force and the Air Force.
According to a memorandum justifying the bill signed by the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Jacob Oboth Oboth, this has been done to conform to changes that the UPDF has witnessed since 2005 when the principal act was passed.
“Since 2005, the Defence sector has undergone transformation both operationally and administratively. It is therefore imperative to substantially amend the Act to address the existing gaps and take into account new government policies…the Defence sector has undergone significant transformation arising from both emerging threats and opportunities. Several of them were unforeseen and not adequately addressed by the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act,” the memorandum accompanying the bill reads in part.
The codification of the SFC which is largely tasked with protecting the President, his immediate family, other important persons, and also special government installations, will bring an end to the criticism that the government has withstood over the years.
In a recent post on Facebook, Besigye said the SFC was neither under the Land Forces, or the Air Forces or prescribed by parliament but rather a personal army of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who has used it against political opponents.
“All this is a part of contempt of the law and the people of Uganda by the NRM/M7 Junta,” Besigye wrote then.
The SFC was accused of being the force behind the beating of Members of Parliament in 2017 while they considered the amendment to the presidential age limits.
They have also been accused of torturing then Member of Parliament for Kyadondo East Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu while he campaigned during the Arua by-election in 2017.
Until very recently, the SFC was commanded by President Yoweri Museveni’s son Muhoozi Kainerugaba who is the current Chief of Defence Forces. It’s now being commanded by Maj Gen. David Mugisha.
Meanwhile, the bill also among others establishes a medical board and health care service for the members of the Defence forces, it also provides for the management of veteran affairs and their pension, it provides for compensation of wounded service persons and service medals.
The bill also streamlines the role of the military courts, how they are composed and their members appointed.