Museveni praises army for discipline

Buhweju- President Museveni has hailed the UPDF as a disciplined and patriotic army.

Speaking at the 33rd army day known as Tarehe Sita at Katara Primary School, Karungu Sub-county in Buhweju District yesterday, the President said the army had benefited the population because of discipline and correct ideology inculcated from its infancy.

“I want to thank the army for being exemplary. This is because of discipline, ideology and organisation. If the army does not have these three, it can’t be beneficial to the people,” Mr Museveni said.

He said they have been able to build a patriotic army because they never tolerated indiscipline, especially killing civilians.

“The ideology must be correct because you can have the ideology of raping women, what type of army is that? That is betrayal…” Mr Museveni said.
Buhweju was one of the training grounds for NRA combatants during the five-year bush war that ushered Mr Museveni to presidency 28 years ago.

Nsiika Town Council and Bisya Primary School where the President commissioned an epitaph in remembrance of fallen heroes in the area yesterday were also training grounds.

Mr Museveni said while lack of infrastructure such as electricity and roads had slowed down the country’s economic progress, the services have improved.

Although he noted that lack of enough factories had also hindered economic progress, the President urged farmers in the rural areas to grow both food and commercial crops like coffee, tea, fruits and apples.

The President also said the country is endowed with vast quantities of oil and gas, wolfram, tin, aluminum, gold limestone, among other minerals which can be coupled with commercial farming for the regional market.

“However, we must have more entrepreneurs because something cannot get itself out of soil. All farmers must go commercial in addition to subsistence,” Mr Museveni said.

The President promised that Gen Saleh and Brig Proscovia Nalweyiso’s group would extend their agricultural services to civilians after helping army veterans to set up agricultural enterprises.

On Naads, the head of State said the programme had been disbanded because officials had become “suckers”.

“Shs150 billion a year is a lot of money. Such money they have been getting as salaries will cater for seeds,” Mr Museveni said.

The Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Katumba Wamala, also commended the army, saying its discipline was unequaled on the territory of Uganda since independence.

Lt Gen Wamala said the army had secured the country as well as the region. He warned that any rebel group that may emerge to destabilise the population would suffer the fate the other 26 insurgent groups that tried the government suffered.