By the close of 2016, Gen. Katumba Wamala already knew his fate- becoming the last officer born out of the regular forces to head the army.
In the aftermath of the deadly Kasese clashes that left over 100 dead and several others incarcerated, Gen Wamala while appearing before parliament’s committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, said he was not in Kasese at the time of the clashes and the final attack on the Palace. His boss President Museveni was reportedly exasperated by his army commander’s choice to throw the military under the bus by telling civilian legislators that he could not have “micro-managed” the situation.
Now that the Special Forces Command until today headed by Museveni’s son Gen. Muhoozi Kainuragaba has amassed numbers in terms of generals, the CiC Museveni has always wanted key army posts steered by SFC-born officers. It is for this reason that Gen Katumba has reportedly been sent packing and replaced by an SFC friendly Maj. Gen. David Muhoozi.
Thirdly, sources state that the president was shocked when intelligence reached him suggesting that CDF Wamala was eyeing a constituency in Mukono. In order to neutralize him, insiders state that one of the lethal opposition female politicians in the district was properly deployed against him to decampaign him.
When this allegation died down, Museveni again received more data suggesting that Katumba was being favored to stand in Ssese-Kalangala. To squeeze him out of this, a wealthy businessman (names withheld) dealing in construction was lined up to tussle it out with Katumba. The tycoon, was was heavily funded and Katumba’s alleged dreams were shuttered because of lack of enough money to undo that of his would be rival.
In his virtually unprecedented role, Gen. Katumba was castigated for ordering the shooting of Lieutenant General Henry Tumukunde in the fracas during vote counting in the Western youth MP elections in Fort Portal early last year. “I was shot by live bullets and under instructions of CDF, Katumba Wamala,” Tumukunde said. The bushwar hero went had to implore if they thought that ‘as a General I don’t know the difference between a teargas canister and a bullet’.
In trying to illuminate the unique situation, Gen. Katumba failed to explain why he had over deployed at a mere youth election yet IGP Kale Kayihura’s Police was also on the ground in enormous numbers or even let his low rank soldiers try to hurt his fellow General.
There are also whispers about how President Museveni had reportedly become uncomfortable with Katumba’s raise in popularity. It is said of how being the most educated Muganda soldier in the Ugandan military has raised his stock and thus put the once humbly man on a collision course with his Commander in Chief.
It is because of these alleged reports against Gen. Katumba that his tormentors made sure that Katumba was knifed as CDF because he is politically ambitious.
Those close to him say he enjoys close relations with Gen Salim Saleh. “In 1981 he helped Saleh to escape and join the guerrilla war following a plan by UNLA soldiers to kill him because his brother Gen. Museveni had declared war on the Obote government. They have been friends since then,” said a UPDF colonel who does not want to be named because he is not authorised to talk to the media.
What remains unknown is whether Gen Katumba will hung his military uniform after many years of non-stop military career and put on civilian clothes as State Minister for Roads since serving officers are not supposed to actively participate in partisan politics.
Who is Gen. Katumba
Prior to his last powerful position, he served as Commander of Land Forces in the UPDF from 2005 to 2013. He also served as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Uganda Police Force, the highest rank in that branch of Uganda’s government, from 2001 until 2005. He was replaced as IGP by General Kale Kayihura. Katumba Wamala was the first active UPDF soldier to serve as the head of the Uganda Police Force.
Katumba Wamala was an officer in the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) at the time the National Resistance Army (NRA) defeated the UNLA in 1986. He transitioned into the NRA without incident.
Katumba holds a certificate in agriculture. In 2007, he graduated from Nkumba University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and diplomacy. He also holds a Master of Science degree in strategic leadership from the United States Army War College. He has military qualifications from the following military schools Uganda Military Academy, Tanzania Military Academy, a military academy in the Soviet Union, Nigerian Command and Staff College, United States Army Command and General Staff College and United States Army War College.
On 23 May 2013, he was promoted to the rank of four-star General and appointed Chief of Defence Forces until 10 January 2017 when he was fired.
He is married, and is the father of one son and five daughters.
