The Commander of Land Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has defended journalist Andrew Mwenda for donning military fatigue, an act that has been widely criticized by Ugandans online.
Through his official Twitter account, Kainerugaba said that Mwenda is part of the Army’s fan base, which is ‘just an excited’ lot.
“My bro Mwenda is part of the massive fan base that UPDF has because of the great work we do. They want to wear our uniforms, hold our guns and even pretend to fly our aircrafts. It means nothing. They are just excited beings. A victorious army like ours is used to such adoration,” he tweeted.
Early this week, videos of Mwenda, a media personality and founder of the Independent Magazine, circulated on social media, attracting criticism from the Ugandans online, who quickly pointed out that his actions are criminal and punishable under the Army Law.
Ugandans noted that the law, under section 164, bars civilians from the unauthorized wearing of military uniforms. If found in contravention, a person is liable to imprisonment for seven years.
In the Videos, Mwenda was recorded saying that he was going to launch a military assault on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in Congo.
“Right now, I am in the main captain’s cockpit for this MI 24 attack helicopter. I am going to bomb the hell out of the ADF in Congo, and tomorrow you will see masses of them surrendering at the border. So news media prepare for my assault on Congo,” he said.
The former Army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki, on January 6, in defence of Mwenda’s actions noted that he could not have donned the uniform without prior permission.
“I want to believe that Andrew (Mwenda) had prior permission. We must take cognizant of the fact that the law allows a civilian to don a military uniform. Article 160 of the UPDF Act talks about circumstances under which a civilian can put on a military uniform,” he said.