By Mulengera Reporters
Intrigued by our earlier post questioning why the military was calling for new recruits instead of merely deploying the reserve forces as the President said, Defense Minister Adolf Mwesige called us a short while ago and clarified. He says that the message sent out earlier by the Army spokesman should have communicated with more clarity to avoid creating unnecessary ambiguity. Mwesige explained that the new recruits they are seeking in Kampala, Wakiso & Mukono are meant to beef up the reserve numbers which are inadequate when it comes to the actual number of men and women that are deployable for the assignment at hand. He explained that whereas the reserve force comprises of many more men and women, there is need for replenishment because “not all of them still have the physical strength to be deployed.” He further explained that some of the reserves are men/women UPDF has previously trained and passed out without them immediately joining military service. “Someone undergoes training and he or she is passed out but goes to do other private things without immediately joining the military for service. Such people are there and they are part of the reserve force,” Mwesige said when asked why they are strictly seeking to recruit those between 18-35 years. He added that its also possible and legally permissible for anybody to be recruited today and categorized as reserve. “Reserve doesn’t strictly mean people who have actively been in the army since say the 1980s and then becomes undeployed and goes home. No. Anybody including you and me can be called upon, trained and immediately deployed to be part of the reserve force. That’s why you shouldn’t find it strange that instead of entirely depending on the reserve we already have, we are replenishing our reserves by going for that fresh recruitment. Its part of how the reserve force is created.” Mwesige also explained why not everybody in the reserve force especially those who joined and served the military years ago is deployable for the KMP assignment the President spoke about in his address. “They are some who are reserve force members but can’t be deployed because for lack of the required physical strength on the account of age, frail health or any other form of disability. That’s why we must recruit to cater for that deficit in the reserve force,” he explained. Renowned for being brutally honest and pragmatic approach, Mwesige admitted there was insufficient clarity in the way the army spokesman worded his press statement. “I’m for sure going to ask them to come up with an additional statement to provide all the necessary clarity so that the public adequately understands what we intended to communicate,” Mwesige said.
