KASESE — Leaders from Kasese have expressed dismay at the promotion in rank and appointment of Brig. Peter Elwelu, the second division commander who masterminded the raid on the Rwenzururu kingdom’s Buhikira palace.
In the recent reshuffle of senior military officers, Elwelu was elevated to the rank of major general and promoted to serve as the UPDF Commander of Land Forces.
The now two-star general, who had distinguished himself as a commander of Uganda’s contingent to the African Union Mission to Somalia (Amisom), came under heavy criticism for his handling of the November 27 attack on Omusinga (King) Charles Wesley Mumbere’s palace that left 100 people dead.
Busongora North MP William Nzoghu said he was disappointed with Elwelu’s promotion, which seems to be a reward for the way he commanded the massacre of fellow Ugandans. Nzoghu believes that Elwelu should have instead been reprimanded or dropped for overseeing the unnecessary loss of innocent civilian lives.
“God will not forgive President Museveni for rewarding Elwelu after he massacred our children,” the tough-talking legislator, who belongs to the opposition FDC party, said.
DIVIDED OPINION
Similar sentiments were also shared by Kasese Woman MP Winnie Kiiza, who is also the leader of opposition in Parliament. She said Elwelu should instead be tried in court for the highhandedness that led to otherwise avoidable bloodshed in the Rwenzori sub-region districts of Kasese and Bundibugyo.
“Elwelu is gaining his promotion from people’s blood; this is absurd,” Kiiza remarked.
However, the Kasese district NRM secretary for publicity, Johnson Kamalha, commended the president for promoting Elwelu. He argued that Elwelu played a good job in defending the sovereignty of the state.
“The promotion of Elwelu does not come as a surprise to us in the NRM; he did a good job at the palace by rescuing the Omusinga who was under hostage,” he said.
Late last year, five legislators from Kasese and a concerned citizen named Apollo Sunday, submitted an application to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which they hope will culminate in a “crimes against humanity” trial of Maj Gen Elwelu and President Museveni at The Hague, Netherlands.
The ICC is yet to decide on whether to investigate the matter. Kasese district FDC chairman Saulo Maathe told The Observer that “rewarding” Elwelu even before the people in the Rwenzori sub-region come to terms with the deadly clashes is rather unfortunate.
Maathe said the recent army promotions are an indicator that President Museveni is pushing for regime longevity at the expense of meritocracy and fostering unity.
GEN MBADI PROMOTION
Maathe downplayed the promotion of Kasese-born Wilson Mbasu Mbadi to the rank of lieutenant general and his subsequent appointment to the position of deputy chief of defense forces. He argued that 54-year-old Mbadi has only risen through the ranks because he is an NRM cadre.
“During last year’s elections, Mbadi was here campaigning for the NRM, although he lost miserably. I don’t even know why he’s being rewarded,” he said.
However, the Kasese district NRM secretary for publicity, Johnson Kamalha, disagreed with the FDC politician’s views. Kamalha said Gen Mbadi has not been involved in the politics of the area and has slowly risen through the ranks on merit.
Gen Mbadi, who has been working as the Joint Chief of Staff, has quickly risen through the ranks in the latter stages of his career. Just five years ago, he was a colonel and an aide-de-camp to President Museveni.
However, in May 2012 Museveni promoted Mbadi to brigadier and appointed commandant of the Fourth Brigade. A year later, he was promoted to major general and made the joint chief of staff, a position he served until his elevation in the latest reshuffle to the second highest military position in the country.
Kamalha says it would be foolhardy if the people of Kasese failed to celebrate Mbadi’s promotion, given that he is now the highest-ranked military officer from the Rwenzori sub-region, a position he believes the area will benefit from.
editor@observer.ug