the UPDF in Fort Portal city have apprehended their own officer at the rank of corporal, a one Collins Tuhame Bugambe for overtly supporting presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu of the National Unity Platform party.
Collins is apparently under detention in the Fort Portal military barracks pending a court martial probe into his conduct. The soldier is among other things accused of violating the UPDF act which prohibits serving soldiers from indulgence in active politics. Collins is said to have been a frequent social media sympathiser and promoter of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine and his NUP party and even reportedly went ahead to pick a party card to consolidate his allegiance. His arrests comes just barely a month after another soldier was arrested for showing his love for Robert Kyagulanyi while donned in the UPDF uniform. The army spokesperson, Brig. Flavia Byekwaso told media that as the UPDF institution, they will apprehend any soldier that participates in partisan politics. On the contrary, some UPDF soldiers who support the ruling NRM party are exempted from indictments as narrated by Bobi Wine in a condemnation post he just published moments back online;
Our coordinators in Fort Portal have informed me of the arrest and detention of Lance Corporal Collins Tuhame Bigombe at Muhoti Barracks in Fort Portal. Apparently, his crime is identifying with the National Unity Platform and #PeoplePower.
We know that the vast majority of UPDF and Police Officers support our struggle to liberate our country. As I said in my previous message, these brothers and sisters have borne the brunt of bad governance. We therefore always encourage the soldiers and police officers who support us that they don’t need to come out now.
Lance corporal Collins in a UPDF combat
Therefore, it might have been a wrong sense of judgement for this comrade to openly identify with us, but I want to call out the double standards! On a daily basis, we have seen military officers and police officers supporting NRM openly, some to a point of wearing NRM t-shirts inside their army uniform. Yet, every soldier or police officer who even shows sympathy to the forces of change is hounded and charged with treason. This is unacceptable. We are struggling for fairness.
We are struggling so that, like in other countries, it will be easy for service persons to serve their country and retire with dignity after a few years so that those who wish to participate in politics have an opportunity to do so. The army and police should never be a prison.
