The Army Council is set to convene today at the Land Forces Headquarters in Bombo Town to elect representatives of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to Parliament.
The Army Council is composed of members of the High Command and senior UPDF officers. The meeting will be presided over by President Yoweri Museveni, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Security has been tightened in and around Bombo Town Council in Luwero District ahead of the elections. Sam Twiineamazima, the Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson, said both the Police and the UPDF have been deployed to maintain law and order during the exercise.
“The security deployment is complete. The situation remains normal and calm as of now. Monitoring teams are on the ground and will provide updates on any eventualities,” Twiineamazima said in a statement.
Currently, the UPDF representatives in Parliament are Gen. David Muhoozi, Gen. Katumba Wamala, Lt. Gen. Wilson Mbadhi, Lt. Gen. James Mugyira, Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko, Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma, Lt. Col. Charity Bainababo, Col. Dr Victoria Nekesa, and Maj. Dr Jennifer Alanyo.
In recent months, a section of Members of Parliament and members of the public have called for the removal of army representatives from Parliament, arguing that their presence contravenes the military’s non-partisan mandate.
However, President Museveni has defended the representation, stating that the army’s primary historical role in Parliament is to observe proceedings, understand issues being discussed, and relay that information to the military to inform institutional decision-making.
Article 78 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda provides for the representation of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces in Parliament.
Under the Parliamentary Elections Act, the UPDF Council, acting as the electoral college, is required to elect ten representatives from among nominees submitted by the Commander-in-Chief, one-third of whom must be women.
