The Commander in Chief- Gen Yoweri Museveni has asked UPDF top generals to desist from sharing military information on social media.
He has instead advised the Generals to use social media to promote sports and also discuss youth affairs.
Daily Monitor reported that Museveni made the pronouncement over the weekend while meeting the top brass of UPDF at Irenga, in Ntungamo after returning from Rwanda.
The meeting came high on heels of public speculation that UPDF had slipped into a crisis following a Standby Class1 order, a highest military alert issued by Deputy Army Commander Gen Peter Elwelu in Museveni’s absence.
Information obtained by this website indicates that the alert was however sanctioned by Gen Museveni before he left for Rwanda and Elwelu simply passed on the radio message.
The alert stopped movement of soldiers and military hardware in the country.
In Ntungamo Museveni met Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Wilson Mbadi, who had been in Kenya conferring with regional counterparts on details of an East Africa Force to pacify eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), D/CDF Elwelu, CLF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda, CMI boss James Birungi and other service chiefs.
The meeting which started at midday ended slightly after 6pm.
Highly-placed security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the President during the meeting delved into how reckless behaviour had claimed lives of illustrious commanders of UPDF and its predecessor outfit, the National Resistance Army (NRA).
He then warned the commanders to desist from promiscuity and drunkenness.
Social media use
In accounts of the deliberations, corroborated in the commander-in-chief’s Sunday radio call message to service chiefs, Gen Museveni noted that he had agreed with “my people”, a reference to top military leadership, social media is not bad in itself, but the issue is how it is used.
He asked commanders to desist from discussing or commenting on international relations issues on social media, telling them instead to use the platforms to discuss sports, youth issues, political ideology and education.
Additional reporting by Daily Monitor
