President Yoweri Museveni who is also Commander in Chief or the Armed Forces, after making key elevations the UPDF’s top officials, has directed a shuffle in the Defense attaches and military officers majorly based outside the country.
To this effect, the President has sent embattled former Chief of Staff of the UPDF’s Air Force Brig. Moses Rwakitarate to serve as military advisor at Uganda’s Embassy in Brussels. He will represent Uganda defense matters in Belgium and other European Union countries.
Brig. Rwakitarate who languished on “katebe” for years after being fired for negligence from the Air Force following the disastrous crash of Somali-bound UPDF choppers in Mt Kenya, has been recently serving in the Office of the Chief or Defense Forces.
A report by Gen Gen. Salim Saleh after the crash, deduced that Rwakitarate failed to follow technical advice and chose a route which put the lives of those flying the helicopters in danger, leading to his release from the air force in 2012, together with his Commander Lt. Gen Jim Owoyesigyire.
In other changes, Museveni transferred Maj. General Silver Kayemba who has been serving as Military Advisor at the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Desk at New York Embassy to MILAD in the same city.
The military advisor at the Pretoria Embassy in South Africa Brig Stephen Kashaka has also been moved to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, while Brig. Hudson Mukasa was moved from Bujumbura to Nairobi.
The others are:
Brig Burundi Nyamunywani from Washington DC to Kigali
Brig Sam Kiwanuka from Mogadishu to Addis Ababa
Brig Fred Tolit from Addis Ababa to Bujumbura
Brig Apolo Kasita Gowa from CIRMIS to Washington
Brig Paul Loketch from Moscow to Moscow
Brig Mathew Gureme from URDCC to London
Brig George Etyang from New Delhi to Pretoria
Brig Victor Twesigye from CCIT to New Delhi
Col Emmanuel Rwashande from Beijing to Beijing
Col John Kasaija from Dar es Salaam to Ministry of Defense’s Contracts Committee
Col Wilson Byaruhanga from London to Juba
Col Octavius Butuuro from Kigali to Khartoum
Col James Ruheesi from EAC Secretariat to EAC Secretariat
Col Dominic Twesigomwe from Nairobi to CIRMIS
Col Bernad Obula from Juba to Court Martial
Col Michael Kabango from CLF to Mogadishu