Kampala — PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni is set to retire from the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF).

Section 16 of the Political Parties and Organisations Act prohibits individuals serving in the armed forces from founding, holding office and campaigning for a political party or organisation.

Lt. Gen. Museveni has to choose between continuing with his commission in the army and playing a leading role in the proposed National Resistance Movement (NRM) organisation (read party).

Museveni, Number RA001, is still a serving army officer. Highly placed Movement sources told The New Vision on Thursday that Museveni had made up his mind to retire from the army to lead the NRM organisation. Museveni's exit from the army could happen before August, the date Movement leaders plan to have registered the NRM organisation.

Also affected by the Act are other UPDF officers like Lt. Gen. Elly Tumwine, Lt. Gen. David Tinyefuza, Lt. Gen. Jeje Odongo, Lt. Gen. Salim Saleh, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Col. Kahinda Otafire, Maj. John Kazoora and others who are currently in Parliament or engaged in politics at various levels.

The sources said Museveni signaled his intention to quit the army during a recent meeting with top aides to plan the formation of the NRM organisation.

"Since I am the historical chairman of the Movement, I am not going to leave the NRM at this crucial point in time," one of the sources quoted Museveni as saying. "I am willing to be a founder member of the NRM and I am going to shepherd it to victory. I am ready to relinquish my commission in the UPDF."

Museveni reportedly made it clear that the law should not be changed to allow him remain a serving army officer while leading a political organisation. Museveni will, however, remain the Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF.

Museveni reportedly commissioned a committee to study the relevant laws and advise him on how best to leave the army. The committee is yet to report back.

Top Movement leaders have since March been plotting how to register the NRM organisation. The meetings followed the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Conference meetings in March which called for the opening up of the political space. The old political parties have refused to register under the Act whose legality is still being challenged in the Constitutional Court.

Another source said Museveni and other top Movement leaders were keen to register under the controversial Act to "prove to the old parties that you don't need to organise rallies before you register."

Article 16 (1) of the Parties Act states: A member of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces, the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Prison Service or a public officer or a traditional or cultural leader shall not - be a founding or other member of a political party or organisation; or hold office in a political party or organisation; or speak in public or publish anything involving matters of political party or organisation controversy; or engage in canvassing in support of a political party or organisation or a candidate standing for public election sponsored by a political party or organisation.

Museveni's exit from the army will draw the curtain on an illustrious military career that started way back in the late 1960s when he was still a student at Dar-es-Salaam University. Museveni, who founded the NRA 22 years ago, has nurtured and transformed it from a rag-tag rebel group of 27 men to a national army. He was the highest-ranking officer in the UPDF until last year when he promoted four officers to his rank of lieutenant general.

At the NEC and NC meetings Museveni, the Movement chairman, barred the Army and Police from presenting memoranda saying under a multipartyism, armed forces must keep off partisan politics.

The implication of the Act is that politically active serving army officers like Maj. Kazoora will have to retire from the army before they champion any political causes.