Muntu: Militarization of Service Delivery Depicts Govt Failure

The planned deployment of UPDF officers to manage government programs is an admission of government’s absolute failure to deliver services to the people, General Mugisha Muntu President of the Forum for Democratic Change says.

Muntu says the move also implies that President Yoweri Museveni has failed to build functioning systems for service delivery close to 30 years since the NRM regime assumed power.

His comments follow repeated statements by President Yoweri Museveni that government would spread the veterans’ income generation programme in every constituency in order to help transform agriculture. According to the President, the soldiers, under the command of Gen Salim Saleh, had been successful in Luweero Triangle compared National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) officials.

The statement was his point of emphasis during the 25th National Heroes day celebrations in Mityana. He stated that the move is to ensure that more Ugandans benefit directly from government efforts to fight poverty at household level and minimize the corruption and theft.

However Gen Mugisha Muntu wonders how Ugandans can listen to the President who is giving evidence of failure against himself and they still trust him.

Asumani Basalirwa, The Justice Forum president says it is illegal and unconstitutional for the President to deploy army officers in civic duties. He argues that the risk is that the soldiers will become political and partisan which is against the constitution and the UPDF Act.

Makerere University political analyst Julius Lebo on the other hand says government should instead establish reasons for the failure by civilians to deliver.

Lebo is convinced that President Museveni made that statement out of frustration and adds that the army would equally fail to implement the programs in the long run. He stresses that the President is indirectly telling Ugandans that they have failed him.