UPDF retires 200 soldiers
Jul 09, 2007
A TOTAL of 200 Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel were yesterday retired in a ceremony at the Military headquarters in Bombo.
By Milton Olupot and Yasin Kintu
A TOTAL of 200 Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel were yesterday retired in a ceremony at the Military headquarters in Bombo.
They are part of the 1,600 who have been cleared for retirement from the army.
The highest officer in the group which retired yesterday was Lt. Col. Eng. Wilson Mubiru, 67, who has served in the airforce since September 1964. Other officers were Capt. Absolom Tinkamanyire and Capt. Aloysius Muwanga.
The three received their certificates ceremoniously on behalf of the others and marched out of the army headquarters accompanied by the military brass-band and seen off by the Chief of Staff of the land forces, Brig. Geoffrey Muhesi.
Muhesi thanked the retiring soldiers for the services they had rendered to the force and to the country. He asked them to be good ambassadors when they settle in their homes.
“You have been restricted by the rules, procedures and policies of the army. Now you are free and entitled to your opinion. But you must show maturity. Demonstrate that you have come from an institution that respects order,†he said.
Lt. Col. Mubiru, on behalf of the group, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the manner in which their retirement package was calculated. He complained that their group was not promoted on retirement, as had been the practice. He also said officers had not been given sufficient transport allowance to go back to their villages.
The Chief of Personnel Administration, Col. Phinnehas Katirima, said the complaints raised were genuine, but the army was working according to the law.
Under the law, he said, nobody was supposed to serve in the army for more than 36 years but some of the officers had served since 1962, making it approximately 42 years. “So in the calculation, only 36 years are considered. There is need to do something about this,†he said.
Muhesi instructed Katirima to look into the complaints and see how they could be addressed. He also announced that the UPDF would introduce mandatory annual leave for its personnel from September this year.
He stressed that the persons retiring remained part of the UPDF family. “You are still part of us. In your retirement, you can still access the salary loan scheme. You can also access the UPDF savings and credit scheme.â€
The chief political commissar, Brig. Francis Okello, advised them to protect themselves. “You managed to survive in the army. Please, stay alive at home. Respect your wives and husbands and stay safe from AIDS.â€
Okello urged the officers to remain loyal to the army and the Government. “Remain loyal to this country and don’t get confused by some people who do not wish us well. The branches of a tree can never forget its roots. NRA is our roots. If you want to join politics, I wish you well but avoid politics of confusion,†he stated.
A TOTAL of 200 Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel were yesterday retired in a ceremony at the Military headquarters in Bombo.
They are part of the 1,600 who have been cleared for retirement from the army.
The highest officer in the group which retired yesterday was Lt. Col. Eng. Wilson Mubiru, 67, who has served in the airforce since September 1964. Other officers were Capt. Absolom Tinkamanyire and Capt. Aloysius Muwanga.
The three received their certificates ceremoniously on behalf of the others and marched out of the army headquarters accompanied by the military brass-band and seen off by the Chief of Staff of the land forces, Brig. Geoffrey Muhesi.
Muhesi thanked the retiring soldiers for the services they had rendered to the force and to the country. He asked them to be good ambassadors when they settle in their homes.
“You have been restricted by the rules, procedures and policies of the army. Now you are free and entitled to your opinion. But you must show maturity. Demonstrate that you have come from an institution that respects order,†he said.
Lt. Col. Mubiru, on behalf of the group, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the manner in which their retirement package was calculated. He complained that their group was not promoted on retirement, as had been the practice. He also said officers had not been given sufficient transport allowance to go back to their villages.
The Chief of Personnel Administration, Col. Phinnehas Katirima, said the complaints raised were genuine, but the army was working according to the law.
Under the law, he said, nobody was supposed to serve in the army for more than 36 years but some of the officers had served since 1962, making it approximately 42 years. “So in the calculation, only 36 years are considered. There is need to do something about this,†he said.
Muhesi instructed Katirima to look into the complaints and see how they could be addressed. He also announced that the UPDF would introduce mandatory annual leave for its personnel from September this year.
He stressed that the persons retiring remained part of the UPDF family. “You are still part of us. In your retirement, you can still access the salary loan scheme. You can also access the UPDF savings and credit scheme.â€
The chief political commissar, Brig. Francis Okello, advised them to protect themselves. “You managed to survive in the army. Please, stay alive at home. Respect your wives and husbands and stay safe from AIDS.â€
Okello urged the officers to remain loyal to the army and the Government. “Remain loyal to this country and don’t get confused by some people who do not wish us well. The branches of a tree can never forget its roots. NRA is our roots. If you want to join politics, I wish you well but avoid politics of confusion,†he stated.