The decision, potentially the first major signal to the much-awaited transition, was announced by the Head of State while presenting the UPDF Establishment 2021 at a Defence Council meeting on Saturday.
KAMPALA | President Museveni has delegated command authority of the military and defence forces to Gen Wilson Mbadi, with the Chief of Defence Forces now having the powers to command all elements of the Uganda People's Defence Forces.
The decision, potentially the first major signal to the much-awaited transition, was announced by the Head of State while presenting the UPDF Establishment 2021 at a Defence Council meeting on Saturday.
Gen Museveni, citing constitutional and legislative provisions, said the UPDF Establishment is an "instrument of delegated command, control, and administration to command all elements of the Uganda People's Defence Forces.
"I salute the Late Lt. Gen (Rtd) Pecos Kutesa for steering this effort as the first Chairman of the UPDF Establishment Committee and congratulate the UPDF on the launch of this milestone towards a more matured and modern forc," Museveni said in a post on X - although he appeared to quote the wrong clause (Section 8) of the UPDF Act instead of Section 9.
Daily Monitor's security reporter, explaining Gen Museveni's post that many appeared to find in the grey area, said the implementation of the UPDF Establishment was the start of reforms and transformation in the defence and military.
"Under the Establishment, the army structure will be streamlined," Bagala said. "Manpower, equipment and what each soldier is entitled will be streamlined."
This means issues of logistics and ranks and file will be decentralised with Gen Mbazi as the final authority on how they run.
Museveni had been at his Kisozi farm in Gomba District since last week where he is said to have retreated to draw up his government's reorganisation and the decision on the military command appears will precede a Cabinet reshuffle.
The reorganisaton of the defence forces will, for instance, see new structures and mergers. The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence has already been revamped as the Defence Intelligence and Security. It will be led by an officer designated as Chief of Joint Staff - Defence and Intelligence Security.
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In his own words"By virtue of the powers enshrined under Article 98(1) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, and Section 8(1) and (2)(a) of the UPDF Act, 2005, yesterday, on the 17th of February 2024, at the Defence Council meeting, I presented the UPDF Establishment 2021, an instrument of delegated Command, Control, and Administration, to General Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the Chief of Defence Forces of the UPDF, to command all elements of the Uganda People's Defence Forces.I salute the Late Lt Gen (Rtd) Pecos Kutesa for steering this effort as the first Chairman of the UPDF Establishment Committee and congratulate the UPDF on the launch of this milestone towards a more matured and modern force.
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Gen Wilson MbadiGen Museveni has been the commander in chief of the armed forces, with all the powers concentrated in his hands. His defence forces chiefs have had the powers but not with total control of the command structure to the extent of making the most decisive calls on behalf of the nation.
However, in one incident that raised eyebrows in June 2022, the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, issued a Standby Class One order - the highest level of combat readiness.
Gen Elwelu's order directed all commanders to account for personnel under their belt, including locations and their activity. The UPDF never fully explained the radio message that was contracted by First Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba's own message to military under his command.
Gen Museveni, who had just entered Rwanda by road when the radio messages were dispatched, would summon his top generals for a meeting in Bushenyi immediately on his return.
But with the command authority, Gen Mbadi has his work cut out even in the case of the land operations that present problems since ground commanders require greater authority than naval and air counterparts.
The Establishment is akin to the command structure that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which considers it the authority delegated to a commander to direct forces assigned so that the commander may accomplish specific missions or tasks which are usually limited by function, time, or location.
With the powers, the commander can deploy units concerned and retain or assign tactical control to those units.
The success of NATO as a long-standing military alliance and the growing worldwide application of its basic procedures would have probably played a big part in the manner in which the UPDF Establishment has been structured, giving Uganda's defence and military the capacity to translate future political decisions into rapid military action.
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But in relation to public sentiment, Gen Museveni ceding some control shows he is helping assuage any military officers who might be suspicious of transfer of power whose debate has hit the highest decibels since Gen Muhoozi ramped up his presidential ambitions.
Muhoozi, who is also a senior presidential advisor on special operations, last week launched the Patriotic League of Uganda, a political group, to drive his nationwide political mobilisation.
He has the past publicly declared that he would challenge for his father's seat in 2026 "in the name of Jesus Christ my God, in the name of all the young people of Uganda and the world and in the name of our great revolution".
Gen Mbadi, born on June 6, 1962, in Kasese District, became the first Chief of Defence Forces of the UPDF who was not directly involved in the NRA Bush War when he was promoted to a four-star General in June 2021.
He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK, the same elite military training school that Gen Muhoozi would later attend - which has made many see the defence chief and former Aide de Camp of President Museveni as one of the ambitious first son's loyal generals.
