The Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) has come out to distance itself from comments made by former presidential candidate Col Dr Kizza Besigye, who on Friday predicted a military led overthrow of the current National Resistance Movement Government under President Yoweri Museveni.
Besigye, citing other countries where armies have mutinied or joined masses to overthrow their leaders — the latest being Mali two weeks ago, — said such was the likely end of President Museveni’s reign.
“Today you are talking of Museveni having strong military intelligence; but before you talk about intelligence; look at all these LDUs he is passing out daily. They have no food…Their expectations are high but he has nothing to give to them. Dictators own security apparatus, but in the final phases, they unite with the people in the demand for freedom because they themselves suffer more than the people,” Besigye said.
However, during an interview with a local news website- Chimpreports, the UPDF Spokesperson Brig Flavia Byekwaso said the military is a highly disciplined force which could not stage a coup against the commander.
She added that over time, the conditions of soldiers have been and will continue to improve.
“Those are his thoughts; he is outside the institution. He might try to predict what the army is likely to do but he has no facts about it,” said Byekwaso.
“This army has come from far; from a time when they did not even receive a penny, to where we are today, getting paid. I don’t think we are the worst in terms of living conditions in government. I therefore don’t see in the near future where the army turns against the government, because as we keeping going conditions will continue improving.”
