Fiery former army commander Maj General Mugisha Muntu has challenged fellow officers of his rank to openly criticize wrong orders given to them by the Commander in Chief (CiC) Gen Yoweri Museveni which could drag the country into turmoil.
Muntu made the revelations while addressing the press in Luwero while announcing the suspension of his campaign to join hands with other democracy seeking organisations and individual to oppose the constitution ammendment in which the ruling party wants to scrap off age limit cap.
He advised officers in uniform to exercise restraint and follow their conscience when faced with orders that put the country’s peace at risk.
The FDC president asked them “not to follow wrong orders”, but work toward safeguarding the country that they will enjoy even after they have retired.
“I was in uniform; I commanded the army from 1989 to 98. I retired from the army. I am now acivilian; I don’t have an escort,” Muntu said.
“Whatever they (army officers) do, they should think about the country and work toward a country in which they would want to operate in when they are no longer in uniform because they will not wear that uniform until the end of time.”
According to Muntu, most of the serving officers in UPDF are intelligent and are not supportive of any efforts by anybody to destabilize peace and the rule of law.
He said, “UPDF has some of the best trained military officers, mostly in education and has operated on many fields of war; even outside the country in South Sudan, Liberia, Somalia and CAR. They have been exposed. They know that the cause of the implosions in those countries is bad governance.
“I know for sure that the majority of the UPDF officers are intelligent; they know that what is hapenning is not good. I advise them to put the country first. They know that when they follow the wrong orders, there is a point at which a country enters a crisis.”
Muntu is seeking a re-election as president of the powerful opposition party.
