Mugisha Muntu
| Mugisha Muntu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 January 1958 Uganda |
| Residence | Kololo, Kampala, Uganda |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Ethnicity | Munyankole |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (BA) Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda |
| Occupation | Military Officer & Politician |
| Years active | 1981 — present |
| Known for | Military & Politics |
| Home town | Mbarara |
| Religion | Christian |
Major General (Retired) Gregory Mugisha Muntuyera, commonly referred to as Mugisha Muntu, is a Ugandan politician and former military officer. He is a member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), a Ugandan political party. In 2008, he unsuccessfully contested for the party's presidency, against Kizza Besigye. From 1989 until 1998, he served as the Commander of the Army, the highest military position in the Ugandan military at that time. When the National Resistance Army was renamed the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), General Muntu became Commander of the UPDF.
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[edit] History
Mugisha Muntu was born in October 1958 at Kitunga village in Ankole Uganda to the late Enock Ruzima Muntuyera and Aida Matama Muntuyera. He had an affluent childhood as his father was a strong government functionary and close friend of former Ugandan ruler Milton Obote. He attended Mbarara Junior School, Kitunga Primary and Kitunga High School. Kitunga High School was later renamed Muntuyera High School, in memory of his father by his friend President Obote. Muntu later attended Makerere College School. He subsequently went on to graduate in political science from Makerere University where he was deputy president of the students union.
[edit] Military career
Muntu joined the guerrilla National Resistance Army of Yoweri Museveni the day he completed his university exams to the chagrin of his family and President Obote, who considered him a son. Early into the rebellion he was shot in the chest but survived after receiving treatment in Kampala. Later he emerged as the head of Military Intelligence after the NRA victory in 1986. In military intelligence he had under his command, personalities like Paul Kagame who would later become the president of the Republic of Rwanda.
Mugisha Muntu underwent further military training in Russia before becoming a division commander in northern Uganda. He rose to the rank of Major General within the UPDF. His rapid promotion was however not to go unnoticed by other senior officers in the then NRA.He was later to serve as Commander of the UPDF. That post was later renamed Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda. As army chief he oversaw the demobilization of many sections of the army. He is Uganda's longest-longest-serving army commander, a position he occupied from 1989 until 1998.
Observers have attributed Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu's quick ascension to the pinnacle of the NRA/UPDF to his reputation as an incorruptible and loyal officer to the President of Uganda. This loyalty was rewarded by the support of the President during Muntu's many quarrels with sections of the army which accused him of trying to alienate them. Prominent among these was the so-called 'uneducated' officers, led by Major General James Kazini (RIP). Mugisha Muntu was accused of creating a schism within the army by showing preferential treatment to educated officers while sidelining those he considered uneducated.
[edit] Criticism
Mugisha Muntu has come under criticism for failing to improve the conditions of the army during his tenure. On his watch, several atrocities were committed against innocent Ugandans by the Lord's Resistance Army(LRA) and the Allied Democratic Forces(ADF). His counter insurgency methods have been mentioned as the reason the ADF and LRA grew in strength and audacity. Atrocities the rebels committed include the Atiak Massacre where over 200 people were killed in April 1995. His decision not to visit the scene after the massacre was seen by many as evidence of either incompetence or being aloof.
One of the most documented atrocities is the Aboke Abductions that took place at St. Mary's College Aboke in Northern Uganda. While Mugisha Muntu's failure to stop the attack or pursue the attackers is well documented, as a politician he has distanced himself from what was his duty as the Army Commander. This has led to accusations of petty politicking being leveled against him by his former comrades in the army.
In 1998, an attack on Kichwamba Technical Institute in Kasese district killed over 80 students leaving many in hospital and over 25 abducted. This was the final incident that led to the President as his appointing authority to relieve him of his duties as Army Commander and his replacement by Maj. Gen. Jeje Odongo.
[edit] Political career
Muntu was a member of the constituent assembly (1994–1995) and parliamentarian. After disagreeing with Museveni's sectarian approach to politics and the military, he was removed from the army command and appointed minister, a position he politely turned down.[1] In August 2006, he was selected by the members of the Ugandan Parliament to serve as one of the nine (9) Ugandan representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).[2]
[edit] See also
- Uganda People's Defense Force
- Forum for Democratic Change
- National Resistance Movement
- Salim Saleh
- Elly Tumwine
- Jeje Odongo
- James Kazini
- Aronda Nyakairima
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Salim Saleh As Commander of the NRA |
Commander of Uganda People's Defence Force 1989–1998 |
Succeeded by Jeje Odongo |
