By Frank Asiimwe Mulekwa
Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, well known for his cartoons, has been seen in a clip addressing security agencies in a “to whom it may concern” style. In the clip, he asks security officers to think of themselves as “victims” and “jailbirds.” He suggests they should free their minds and look at the bigger picture. However, I do not think security officers are interested in his assistance.
As a cartoonist, Dr. Spire has no control over security matters. Being a security officer is a complicated field that requires expertise and experience, which I am not sure Dr. Spire can grasp. Social media has given a platform to individuals with little expertise in certain areas, including the elite.
Dr. Spire assumes that today’s security organs are manned by illiterate “guns for hire,” as it was in the past, which is not the case today. The UPDF, police, and prisons are professional institutions composed of highly conceptual and purposeful officers and men with effective command and control. Officers are highly disciplined and reasonably motivated to appreciate the commission they serve.
Security officers sacrifice a lot to keep Ugandans and their property safe. This is what drives all of us to serve in our capacities and areas of service unreservedly. As President Yoweri Museveni once emphasized, patriotism is what drives us to serve our country. This is the difference between the fighters and the elite like Dr. Spire and his friends, whose job is to disrupt what others have struggled for.
Dr. Spire’s foreign-sponsored interest is to aggrieve security personnel for an unjust cause, to see that instability reigns in Uganda. This is the problem with populists and those who cry more than the bereaved – to cause mayhem and then leave the aftermath for others to clean up. Sorry, our security officers are nobody’s toy soldiers! They know their purpose and mission!
Regarding the housing conditions of personnel, which Dr. Spire calls “colonial,” is he a sadist to such an extent? What does it profit him to mock the security sacrifice that every officer swears into upon joining the forces? A professional satirist would do well to balance his act by showing the modern housing units that have been added to the forces’ real estate.
I challenge Dr. Spire to capture the modern housing units for UPDF officers at the Kambarage Nyerere Barracks at Busambaga-Katabi, in Entebbe, or the housing units for police officers at Naguru, near police headquarters. Many officers have been able to build houses of a class equal to any other Ugandan or better. These benefits come with dedicated service and the professionalization of security forces, which brings promotions and deployment.
Nothing is going to stop the process of modernizing the serving conditions of our security officers now that the economy is recovering and Uganda is enjoying unprecedented peace. The attempts of Dr. Spire and his allies to cause fallouts and tensions within Uganda’s security apparatus will not have any effect other than pushing views on TikTok and building a personal profile for future vacancies.
Ugandans are grateful and appreciative to the law and order, peace and security protected by the gallant officers and men of the UPDF, Uganda Police Force, Prisons and the Intelligence organs. Our gallant sons and daughters shall spare nothing for the good of the motherland. Our comrades are at the frontline in the DRC, defeating ADF terrorists; those in Somalia are keeping Al-Shabaab at bay. The vigilance and expertise of the spy agencies defuse countless plots against Uganda locally, regionally and internationally. There is no “bigger picture” than that! These existential and operational successes are our pride, while Dr. Spire draws cartoons and creates content on TikTok.
“Leave matters of generals to generals”.
Frank Mulekwa
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