There is controversy again on whether a serving military officer can be appointed minister.
Recently sacked army commander Gen Katumba Wamala who was appointed Minister of State for Works in the last cabinet reshuffle pending vetting by Parliament that is already in session today.
This comes as MPs are questioning whether it was okay to approve the appointment of Gen Katumba, who is still a serving army officer. He lost his job to Gen David Muhoozi after washing his hands off the Kasese massacres that pitted State security against the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu.
The constitution requires that for one to join a political office he must resign from active military service before taking up office.
Citing the constitutional implications of accepting Gen Katumba as Works minister, the MPs, lawyers and independent-minded lawmakers are insisting that the former army chief cannot assume a partisan office unless he quits the army, expressing the fear that Parliament would be “dragging the national army through mud”.
The MPs are contemplating summoning the Attorney General together with Uganda Law Society to clarify on the matter.
A source at Parliament said opposed a section of MPs who are opposed to Ktaumba’s approval argued that they were not rejecting him as a person but sighted legal issues surrounding his appointment just like was the case in 2013 with his predecessor in the army top job, the late Gen Aronda Nyakairima.
Non-partisan
According to Article 208(2) of the same supreme law of the land, the UPDF shall be non-partisan, national in character, patriotic, professional, disciplined, productive and subordinate to civilian authority.
