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Reserve Force

Uganda maintains a capability to reinforce and if necessary re-constitute the Defence Forces. The actual number of people under the reserve force is big (estimated at 50,000 by some accounts) but as is characteristic with the handling of security matters, no exact figures have ever been made public. A built-in reserve capability for all services must always be adequately maintained. Museveni needs to keep the huge Reserve Force, which is effectively the third arm of the UPDF after the land forces and the air force, busy and productive. Peace missions abroad provide additional pay, war-footing experience, and opportunities for promotions for the troops involved.

The army’s reserve force is comprised of all army veterans, retirees and deserters, whose work is to be on standby and on call to supplement the national army in case of an emergency. However, majority of the people in the reserve force are remnants of what was the Luweero bush war that brought President Museveni to power in 1986 after waging a protracted guerilla war against the government of President Milton Obote which he claims rigged itself into power by pick pocketing the 1980 general elections. Museveni and his then political party, Uganda Patriotic Movement, came last in that election.

Each regular reserve consists of officers whom the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Council has transferred to the reserve and militants who have been transferred to the reserve in accordance with the terms of their enlistment.

The Commander-in-Chief may order, in such manner as may be prescribed, the whole or any part of any regular reserve, or any force prescribed to be on continuing full-time military service for such period as he or she may determine. Upon an order being made, the regular reserve, or any prescribed force, as the case may be, shall be employed on active service. Where an order has been made, the officers and militants of any prescribed force or reserve or part of the force or reserve to which the order applies shall, during the continuance of the order be deemed for all purposes, except for such purposes as may be prescribed in the order, to be part of the corresponding regular force.

Senior Presidential Adviser on Defence, Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho (Salim Saleh), on 05 February 2010 retired as commander of the army’s Reserve Force, a post he had held since 1989. “It’s hard to keep together these people because majority of them were freedom fighters and they cannot be organised. They are not in good shape but they remained disciplined and I hope the next commander will keep them intact,” Gen. Saleh told the gathering that comprised representatives of the civilian support groups that provided assistance to the combatants when they were rebels during the 1981 – ’86 bush war, widows of the departed men of the force and the retirees. The Arrow Boys, a local militia, will remain under the Army as part of the national reserve force in Teso, its overall commander Capt. Mike Mukula has said in June 2004. Mukula said the Arrow Boys was an auxiliary force fully commanded and controlled by the Uganda People's Defence Forces. "We will keep our arms until the Karamajong surrender all their guns and the Government will be satisfied with our work," he said. Mukula said the Karamajong were a threat to the people of Teso because they had guns, adding that by retaining their guns, the Arrow Boys militia would be in position to fight them off and protect the Iteso from being raided.

In January 2010 President Museveni transferred and appointed more than 30 senior and mid-level officers in the Army in a bid to make the force more efficient. The President recalled some Army officers from their previous appointments and has promoted other officers, albeit temporarily, pending approval by the Army Appointments Board. Some of the affected officers were transferred to the Reserve Force which had been in limbo for some time now, but which the UPDF wanted to operationalise.

In June 2013 over 1,800 reserve force soldiers in greater Masaka region e threatened to lay down their tools over salary arrears. The disgruntled soldires claim that they had not been paid salary arreras that amounted to over shs10bn. “We have been patient enough while demanding for our arrears for the past 3 years,” one of the reserve soldiers said. The regional reserve force spokesman Capt. Hakim Rwamukyo, said the reserve force soldiers are not paid government salaries but rather are given monthly allowances. He added that sometimes allowances delay but this doesn’t go beyond two months.

At the height of the M23 rebellion in eastern DRC the UN alleged that the Uganda government was rendering support to the militants. Uganda government reacted by rubbishing off the UN report before threatening to pull out its troops from Somalia. When the UN Brigade defeated the M23 in eastern DRC, Uganda offered sanctuary to the defeated rebels including their top military and political leaders. The government claimed that it had disarmed the defeated militants before harbouring them at Bihanga military barracks under the guard/protection of the NRA. As to whether M23 was a genuine rebel group or a UPDF reserve force, remained a mystery.

By July 2014 the government was set to register all members of the reserve force (veterans) in a bid to harmonise the group, to ensure proper planning and improve security. This was revealed by Hajati Aisha Kabanda, the Kampala Resident City Commissioner (RCC), while addressing some veterans from the five divisions of Kawempe, Central, Makindye, Rubaga and Nakawa in Kampala recently.

“Reserve force members by law include those who have served in the army, local defence units, those who have done cadre courses and any military training, returnees from Iraq but it is hard to easily identify them” Kabanda said at a consultative meeting attended by over 200 veterans at KCCA, stadium in Lugogo. She said registration for members of the reserve force will start at the end of this month with filling in of forms at the five division offices in Kampala.

In 2013 Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF threatened to arrest unspecified number of ex-servicemen accused of disappearing with war materials. The suspects were part of 2000 UPDF veterans, who were recalled and deployed in Somalia to serve under UGABAG 12 fighting group. However, after returning home, some of the veterans vanished with military materials including uniforms, boots and caps.

The Arrow Boys is a local militia group patrolling the area in Tombura County at the South Sudan border with the Central African Republic. the Arrow Boys was a part of the national reserve force fully commanded and controlled by the Uganda People's Defence Forces. At least 450 Arrow boys from Teso sub region were rejected from joining the reserve force set for deployment in Somalia. This as the army recalled at least 2,200 ex-soldiers for deployment against al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia. that Some Arrow force certificates were forged others scanned while others were rejected because of the overwhelming numbers.