Ugandans on Twitter have roasted first son Muhoozi Kainerugaba for standing with journalist Andrew Mwenda.
Mwenda splashed a picture trying to fly a UPDF aircraft donned in a UPDF army combat, something that didn’t go well with several Ugandans.
“My bro Mwenda is part of the massive fan base that UPDF has because of the great work we do. They want to wear our uniforms, hold our guns and even pretend to fly our aircrafts. It means nothing. They are just excited beings. A victorious army like ours is used to such adoration.” The commander of Land forces said.
It should be noted that in 2019, the Uganda government designated the red beret as official military clothing that could land members of the public who wear them in jail, a move that essentially bans the uniform of leading opposition leader Bobi Wine and his supporters.
Bobi Wine, a pop star turned politician who had announced he is running for president against longtime leader Yoweri Museveni in 2021, had then made the red beret his signature, calling it a “symbol of resistance”.
However the beret, also worn by some soldiers, was included in Uganda’s first-ever gazette of all military clothing, which states that any member of the public found in possession of the items “is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life”, under section 160 of the 2005 UPDF Act.
“The dress code for the UPDF (Uganda People’s Defence Force) has been gazetted. The action was endorsed by the top organs of the army which also commended the dress committee for concluding the task assigned to it years back,” army spokesman Richard Karemire said in a statement on Monday.
“It manifests the commitment to define identity and outlook of a professional army as well as adhering to the EAC (East African Community) protocols,” he added.
