On November 2, shortly after nomination at Kyambogo grounds, Gen. Yoweri Museveni said he would crush foreigners who are working with opposition forces to destabilise Uganda.
He further warned that these foreigners risk dying for nothing, should they wage a war against Uganda.
The President who seemed angry and speaking with an informed position said he is aware of the external forces which want to disrupt and undermine the electoral process. However, he scoffed at these people-he didn’t mention- saying the election will go on successfully.
In the course of his campaigns, Museveni has maintained that a clique of opposition is being funded foreigners. He said those with ill intentions of destabilising Uganda should forget about it.
The President in his calculated remarks never mentions who the enemy is, but warns of crushing “the enemy.”
New Firepower
In awake of defending Uganda’s sovereignty, Museveni has since cashed out shs 404 billion to a Turkish firm to deliver 100 powerful armoured personal carriers.
Commonly known as tanks, they are armoured fighting vehicles designed for front-line combat.
Tanks have heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield manoeuvrability provided by tracks and a powerful engine; usually their main armament is mounted in a turret.
According to a source in State House, the 100 tanks are equipped with State of the Art technology.
They were procured from Turkish defense manufacturer Otokar and will supply Arma 8×8 and Cobra II 4×4.
Unlike the tanks Uganda owns which move over the wide steel chain, the Cobra and Arma have tyres making them move faster and long distances.
The tanks are equipped with anti-missile which enables self-defence should a missile be guided at them.
“They have a guided projectile program that allows them to fire a directed rocket artillery at the enemy,” a source said.
The ordinary main battle tank, usually fires misguided weapons. However, the newly acquired firepower will aim and smash at the enemy.
Military officials contacted about this classified procurement couldn’t freely comment. They also wished not to be mentioned.
However, State House suspects the story was leaked to www.africanintelligence.com by the Turkish.
The source said, the amount spent on the weaponry was exaggerated by the website.
African Intelligence said Turkey’s largest private capital defense industry company, Otokar provides the modern armies with state-of-the-art tactical vehicles in different configurations through its product spectrum that covers the full range of armoured vehicles from 4 tonnes up to main battle tanks.
Gen. Museveni rushed to procure the firepower from Turkey because of his long-bilateral relationship with his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdogan, who has been facing inward hostility from opposition just like Museveni.
About Cobra 4*4 and Arma 8*8
Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç, said, “With this order, our Arma 8×8 vehicle will be an African passenger for the first time; it will serve in the African continent. It also makes us proud that this new order came from a country to which we have been exporting before. Our vehicles, which our user has included in his inventory…became a reference for this new order; they preferred Otokar to meet their 4×4 and 8×8 tactical wheeled armoured vehicle needs.”
Otokar began development of the Arma in 2007 as a company-funded venture, and unveiled the vehicle in 2010. The company describes it as a modular multi-wheeled armored vehicle with good tactical mobility, high mine and ballistic protection and a variety of medium- and large-calibre weapons integration options, up to and including a 105 mm main gun. A double walled V-shaped hull provides protection against landmines.
The Arma 8×8 is available in various configurations such as armoured personnel carrier, infantry fighting vehicle, fire support vehicle, mortar carrier, short and medium range air defence, mobile gun carrier, command and control vehicle with optional amphibious capability.