8 September 2008
editorial
That the suspended Brig. Hudson Mukasa, the Army's 5th Infantry Division Commander, has refunded the Shs256m meant for salaries of soldiers, which he had allegedly embezzled; should be good news for the soldiers who are suffering in the field (See Brig. Mukasa returns stolen Shs256m, Daily Monitor, September 5).
Three weeks ago, President Yoweri Museveni suspended Brig. Mukasa, along with five other army officers, over allegations of embezzling money meant for the salaries of auxiliary forces in northern Uganda. Every body knows how corruption has thrived in the army over the past 20 years. What is even more pathetic and shameful is the manner in which the meager salaries of the poor soldiers continue to be embezzled by their superiors.
In 2000, the chief paymaster for Ugandan forces in the DR Congo, Capt. Dan. Byakutaaga, "disappeared" with more than $1 million (Shs1.8 billion) meant for the soldiers' salaries. To this day, Capt. Byakutaaga has not surfaced as he is said to be in hiding overseas.
Four years later, the former army commander, Maj. Gen. James Kazini and 20 other army officers were interdicted and charged with causing financial loss to the army through creation of ghost-soldiers and keeping the salaries for themselves.
A few months ago, 10 UPDF officers who were in charge of the Arrow Brigade in the UPDF 3rd Division, were sent to the General Court Martial to answer charges of embezzlement, abuse of office and conduct prejudicial to the good order and discipline of the armed forces. Space limitations do not allow us to mention many other cases of embezzlement of public funds involving army officers.
We think this mess in the UPDF pay system has been going on for long, and is becoming a mockery for an institution that claims to be on the path to modernisation. Record-keeping has been a perennial problem in the UPDF. It is indeed baffling why a 'modern' army of the UPDF's caliber should find it a problem to streamline its systems.
One almost fails to resist the temptation to believe that a few officers are deliberately frustrating the efforts to clean up the records and streamline the systems for selfish reasons. Otherwise, why would the army hierarchy allow the mistakes of the Byakutaagas to recur eight years later?
One must consider what other armies are doing that the UPDF are not. What lessons and best practices is the UPDF picking from them? The UPDF hierarchy must act decisively to ensure that the rank and file soldiers, who are serving their country in very difficult circumstances, get their salaries without much ado. If they don't, those responsible should face the music.
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