Tumwine Accuses Parliament Of Wasting Time On Sejusa

General Elly Tumwine

The chairperson of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) Caucus in the Ugandan Parliament, General Elly Tumwine has accused the Rules Committee of wasting their time on renegade General David Sejusa’s saying the matter is supposed to be quietly handled by the UPDF.

General Elly Tumwine
General Elly Tumwine

Tumwine said this on Thursday while appearing before the Rules Committee of the country’s Parliament that is investigating the absence of General Sejusa who has missed over 15 sittings of the House..

Tumwine questioned what more the committee is investigating saying that he himself heard from Sejusa that he was to fight the government.

He said the General is undisciplined saying that under normal circumstances, he was supposed to copy his request of leave submitted to the Speaker to him as the chairperson of members of UPDF caucus.

He described General Sejusa’s conduct and missing of House sittings as total indiscipline, rebellion and abuse of his country.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Charles Angina who on Thursday also appeared before the same committee asked Parliament to allow the army fill renegade General David Sejusa’s seat in Parliament.

Angina reasoned that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) is like a soccer team that needs all its 11 players on the pitch at all times. He noted that Sejusa’s absence means the team is one man less.

The UPDF is under the Special Interest Groups in Parliament and is represented by 10 members including Angina and his boss, CDF Katumba Wamala.

Contrary to the earlier statements by the State Minister of Defence Jeje Odongo and those of CDF Katumba Wamala, Angina told the Rules Committee that General Sejusa has not yet been declared Absent without Official Leave (AWOL).

He said Sejusa never sought permission of leave from the UPDF but added that the Speaker notified them of the continued absence of the General and at the same time inquiring whether UPDF had sent him on official duty hence keeping him away for long.

Angina said Parliament which provided leave to Sejusa should be in position to tell whether he is on official leave or not. He noted that Sejusa is still in service and that he currently still represents UPDF in the House.

He however noted that the controversial General, who until April was coordinating intelligence services in the country, is risking his life by being out there in an unknown place.

Sejusa left the country quietly after authoring a controversial dossier in April, accusing President Museveni of having a plan to eliminate political and military officers who oppose a ‘Muhoozi Project’.

The project, according to Sejusa, is to have Museveni’s son, Brigadier Muhoozi Kainerugaba, succeed his father in the top office.

Angina appeared before the committee together with UPDF Chief of Legal Services Brigadier Ramathan Kyamulesire and two other technical officers in UPDF Gordon Busingye and Moses Wandera.

However, Fox Odoi, the Committee Chairperson told General Tumwine to respect the committee and the Rules of Procedure of Parliament and that as UPDF representatives in the House, they are not above the rules of Parliament.

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