KAMPALA – There is a Luganda saying with no English translation that “enswa bwekyusa amaso nga nawe okyusa evubo” literally meaning when conditions change, you must be prepared to make the necessary adjustments to fit in the prevailing situation.
They say a wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the fit in the conduit through which it moves and indeed adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win. That is exactly what President Museveni did when he realized his appointee- Major Gen Abel Kandiho could not take up his new role to South Sudan as a defence attaché replacing Maj. Gen. Birungi.
Gen Kandiho was on January 25, 2022 sent to monitor on behalf of the guarantors, the assembling, screening, demobilization and integration of the armed forces of South Sudan. For reasons that many are shy to talk about, Kandiho’s is one of the many top Government officials who were blacklisted by the US government on allegations of torture and human rights abuses.
I am using the phrase allegation because he was not tried by any competent court to confirm the accusation. The former Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence is now a Chief of Joint Staff of Uganda Police Force replacing another military officer Maj. Gen Jack Bakasumba with whom they have swapped offices.
What started a mere threat by the US Government is now biting despite a protest from Government and the whole institution of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces.
UPDF’s mouthpiece Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso as she then was on record for having said “As a country and UPDF in particular, a reputable government institution, we are disappointed that such a decision could be made by a country we consider friendly, a partner and great ally without due process and in total disregard of the principle of fair hearing coupled with failure to make necessary consultations.”
It was all in black and white; the Government of Uganda was aware of the sanctions but decided to throw a dice on the table hoping they would bypass the threat. Major General Kandiho is also accused by the Rwandese Government for commanding operations targeting their citizens in Uganda.
Kandiho’s appointment was supposed to take immediate effect but by the time the reversal of appointment took place, Kandiho had not yet assumed office in Juba. Given the mandate associated with the Juba assignment, it is obvious that American and its allies would not stand the idea of working with a sanctioned. He now joins other senior army officers who have since changed the colour of their uniform into the of the Uganda Police force.
I personally think the decision to pronounce sanctions on Kandiho and others was a welcome move to curtail excesses but I am always inclined to ask questions. Who gave these Americans the mandate to police and patrol the whole world. This was a prominent question which many movie enthusiasts asked after watching a 2004 movie titled Team America: Worlds Police where an arrogant arm of the American Government set out on a mission to invade a Middle East country all in the name of fighting terrorism.
In one of the scenes, they indiscriminately fired missiles killing innocent people and destroying buildings just because they had reportedly used their intelligence network to identify one terrorist allegedly sponsored by former North Korean President entering a building. The movies delivers a very serious comical punch but leaves one unanswered question, who gave these Americans the authority to police the world and go about deciding how countries manage their internal affairs.
The author, Mr. Roger Wadada Musaalo is a Lawyer, human rights activist, researcher, and politician
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