The Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen Wilson Mbadi has explained what informed the impending third retirement of outspoken army general Kasirye Ggwanga.
The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) is set to retire 1,295 officers who include 11 army generals led by Gwanga and 127 senior officers at the end of next month, taking a decision on the basis of ‘voluntary and medical unfit.’
This is the third time Ggwanga is retiring from the army. In 2005, he was retired from the UPDF at the rank of brigadier, but he returned 3 months into retirement, and he was re-instated by Commander-in-Chief Yoweri Museveni on a renewable contract of five years.
Gen. Mbade said an aging force undermines the efficiency and effectiveness of national security. He was officiating at a one-week retirees briefing of the first batch 8A, which comprises of 575 officers at the Gadaffi Barracks in Jinja.
Gwanga who was in March 3, 2018 promoted from the rank of Brigadier will retire with other officers of the same rank namely; James Sebagala, John Mateeka, Hussien Adda, Joshua Masaba and Ali Kiiza.
He added that many of the retirees had aged, saying that it had also increased the burden of paying a non-effective force.
“We are not chasing you from the army, but the time for retirement has come. The army is like a snake, to remain effective, it mush relinquish its old skin to gain a new one and, therefore, we must also make your replacements,” Mbadi said.
“Can you trust an aging officer with national security? Can they really manage?” he questioned.
About Kasirye Ggwanga
According to Wikipedia, Ggwanga joined the Uganda Army in 1972, and at the time, the commander-in-chief was Idi Amin.
He has once held as a prisoner of war for 897 days, inside both Uganda and Tanzania, following the ouster of Amin in 1978. He was released in 1981 after President Godfrey Binaisa negotiated the return of the political prisoners to Uganda.
He joined the National Resistance Army bush war that captured power in 1986, in 1985.
Aside from working as a military man, Ggwanga was once the LC5 chairman for Mubende District.
