President Yoweri Museveni has said corruption has crept into the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).

“It is true that there is some corruption in the UPDF now. They should not tell you lies that there is no corruption.  Corruption has crept in; stealing fuel, money, and being used in land evictions and other mistakes,” Museveni, who is also the commander-in-chief of the UPDF, said on Thursday, February 29.

He made the remarks while presiding over the 13th annual Tarehe Sita thanksgiving prayer breakfast at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala. 

Tarehe Sita, a Kiswahili word meaning the sixth day, commemorates the February 6, 1981, when the National Resistance Army’s (NRA) five-year bush war that brought Museveni to power was launched, with an attack on Kabamba Military Barracks.

CDF Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi rewarded gifts to a collection entities that have worked with the UPDF in the last 43 years

“The command should not tolerate those that bring pollution to the force such as the corrupt,” Museveni, a retired UPDF general, said.

On the professional side, he said “things are moving very well”. “The UPDF is a good army. It is able to operate in very difficult situations because they are very dedicated people,” the President said.

He also noted that the Front for National Salvation, NRA and UPDF were able to succeed because of a combination of ideology and spirituality. “Our ideology was a mixture of our traditional beliefs and religion.

“In our traditional beliefs, we despise treachery. We don’t even believe in cowardly attacks; attacking people who are not prepared,” he said.

He thanked the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Wilson Mbadi, and the Ministry of Defence for organising the event as part of the Tarehe Sita activities.

Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Vincent Ssempijja thanked the President for always guiding them. “We want to assure you that we shall not let you down in the ministry. We shall make sure most of these directives are implemented,” he said.