Militia groups! Hmmm

By Deo Tumusiime

I watched on Television as Major Roland Kakooza Mutale passed out what he termed as crime preventers. However, his body language was quite suspect and I was left wondering these were actually crime preventers or potential crime creators.

In the same news bulletin, former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was seen launching a vigilante group supposedly to counter actions of the Maj. Mutale group-and there could be many more others.

I think that Ugandans must be extremely careful not to be excited by the ongoing paramilitary training offered especially to young men and women, most of whom have very few employment options if any. While the short term objectives of such groups may appear positive on face value, in the long run, having a big chunk of the population armed with tools of aggression is potentially risky.

Major Mutale seems to suggest that he will do everything possible to see that President Museveni retains power. Such determination by a veteran soldier may be received with mixed feelings. The utopia of having gone to the bush to save Uganda must calm down to allow the country chance to move forward organically.

That way, it would not be an issue if after the forthcoming elections, a new leader emerged. But as things currently appear, the silent message from Maj. Mutale is akin to the Kiswahili saying “Kama mbaaya, mbaaya” translated to mean-come what may! This approach connotes negatively and someone must be called back to order.

I was happy when President Museveni committed himself to professionalisation of the army and I guess the Police too.
These two institutions are very critical in the proper management of society, considering how unpredictable human beings can mean to be. However, upsurge of militias seems to me a vote of no confidence in the traditional security systems. You don’t want to see so-called friendly fire arising from avoidable circumstances especially when such groups begin to take sides in an election.

In neighboring Burundi, which just emerged from a controversial Presidential election, they too had a challenge with militias. The media often reported of how the entire population was living on tension as these folks could appear from nowhere with no logical justification or command, and start beating up people they believed were against the incumbent.

Incidentally Major Mutale is not new to this kind of stuff and will already be remembered for his Kalangala Action Plan which terrorized voters in previous elections.

Meantime, one wonders: Where is this crime that requires hundreds of people to be trained coming from? Is there something that some people know is impending which the rest don’t? Who is cashing in on such a project?

Just yesterday, my daughter asked me for the 3rd time, “Daddy, will there be war when the elections come?”

Well, I could only re-assure her that God forbid anything that happening. It won’t be another 10 or so years before my little girl could become a voter, but the actions we take today could have a lasting impact on our children’s future. It is against this background that our historicals, who know so well where this country has come from, must exercise maximum restraint and avoid triggering panic ahead of the forthcoming elections.

I note with concern that the ruling regime is still littered with bad boys still stuck in the old mentality of soldiers being untouchable. It is in this spirit that the likes of Maj. Mutale continue to create tension in the population unabated. This in a way tarnishes the otherwise good name of the National Resistance Movement.

The Government must own up and disband all the budding militia groups as a way of having the population at peace.
 
Whoever is itching to join the military or police should be recruited as such, rather than disguising as crime preventers, a profession whose mandate remains largely sketchy. Yes, while the police and the army are expected on paper to be non-sectarian, it looks very clear that the so-called crime preventers are heavily bent on one side.

Little wonder some members of the opposition are contemplating having their own militias under fear of an unleveled ground.

My humble belief is that if everyone plays their role in a transparent manner and if, especially the electoral commission is allowed the latitude to professionally play its part, Uganda will emerge from the elections unscathed.

God bless Uganda!

The writer a communications consultant