Museveni: UPDF Officers Sending Their Cooks, Aides to Fight Al Shabaab in Somalia

President Museveni has slammed the criteria used by the UPDF to select combatants for military deployment in Somalia, saying cooks and bodyguards are disguised as fighters.

Museveni, who has in the last few weeks exposed the entrenched corruption in the army, said until recently, the UPDF had never had any big problem with al-Shabaab because of the national army’s capabilities.

The President, who was speaking during the ongoing NRM caucus at Kyankwanzi, said the UPDF used to deploy battle-hardened and experienced combat units.

“But it seems at some stage, some of the people who organize, they put the names of their bodyguards, personal assistants, and cooks,” he said, adding, “they create some sort of ad hoc instead of integral units.”

The revelations are embarrassing for the army, which is already grappling with accusations of mismanagement of welfare allowances for bodyguards of high profile officials.

The President’s comments come in the wake of Al Shabaab’s deadly attack on the UPDF’s Forward Operating Base in Buulo-Mareer, Lower Shabelle, Somalia, this past Friday.

Scores of UPDF soldiers were killed, while others were taken by Al Shabaab as prisoners of war.

Videos of UPDF soldiers being shot by Al Shabaab in battle and others running for their lives have enraged the nation.

Al Shabaab attacked the Ugandan military base in Somalia this past Friday

Museveni explained that the U.N. gives the allowances to the tune of Shs 38 million per soldier every year.

“Now some of these people don’t look at the mission; they look at the money… Somalia is a very dangerous place. If you go there like that, you end up with a bad situation for yourself,” he emphasized.

Money

“It seems some of our people were selecting people to go to Somalia because of the money.”

Museveni last week suggested that the soldiers at the overran base were not well trained and prepared for combat action in Somalia.

“Some of the soldiers there did not perform as expected and panicked, which disorganized them and the Al-Shabaab took advantage of that to overran the base and destroy some of the equipment,” said Museveni on Saturday night.

“It is criminal for anybody involved, to send into such a theater soldiers who are either not suited for that mission or not properly prepared for it,” he said, adding, “Details will come out after the BOI has finished its work.”

He emphasised: “This unfortunate incident should be used to remind all those concerned, that operations in Somalia and other theatres, are combat missions and not welfare missions where you can access UN allowances.”

The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Wilson Mbadi has set up a Board of Inquiry (BOI) into the attack.

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