FDC party are mourning with UPDF and police about the loss of two prolific generals in a space of a week.

Generals; Pecos Kutesa and Paul Lokech died within a space of a week of organic failure and blood clot respectively. Lt. Gen. Kutesa served in the bush war outfit NRA which was later renamed UPDF since its infancy. He served in several capacities.

Lt. Gen. Lokech joined the army in the mid 1990s and served in several areas including in Somalia, DR Congo and until his death, he served as Deputy Inspector General of Police.

FDC party in their weekly news conference at Najjanankumbi in Kampala, hailed the works of Lt. Gen. Kutesa but had reservations for Lt. Gen. Lokech.

The news conference was addressed by Kira Municipality Member of Parliament and the FDC party spokesperson Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda.

Ssemujju on Lt. Gen. Kutesa who was buried on Sunday in Lyantonda, moved: “FDC party joins the country in mourning the passing of two UPDF senior officers. As we know Lt Gen Pecos Kutesa and Maj Gen Paul Lokech, we send our condolences to the family and armed forces where they have been serving and also to the country.”

The FDC party spokesman hailed Lt. Kutesa: “We haven’t heard his name ( kutesa) in land grabbing & other related corruption scandals.”

He urged: “As FDC party, we would like to invite other senior UPDF soldiers to emulate a person like Pecos. Carrying a gun and having a rank doesn’t give you ownership of the country.”

Ssemujju added: “Pecos kutesa lived a fairly modesty life, despite his profile, history and rank. The man lived a modesty Life not the lives of other UPDF soldiers like Tumwiine who think the country owes them because they went to Luwero to fight.”

On Lokech who died on Saturday morning, the party warned: “Lockech as his label goes was a ruthless commander who glorified power and gun, our officers in military and police, when you serve in the military you don’t have to eliminate people to be remembered as a soldier.”

FDC party hail Lt. Gen. Pecos Kutesa

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC party) joins the country in mourning the passing of two senior Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) senior officers; Lt. Gen. Pecos Kutesa and Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech. We send our condolences to their families to the forces and to the country.

These two officers represent two worlds. Lt. Gen. Pecos Kutesa is one of the few young educated Ugandans that picked up arms to fight the dictatorial regime of Dr. Milton Obote. Kutesa was very instrumental in the bush war that eventually brought Museveni to power. He is remembered for leading attacks against barracks that helped NRA acquire ammunition. Despite his role and senior rank in the military, he led a fairly modest life. His name didn’t feature in corruption and land grabbing like names of many of his counterparts. He was a complete opposite of Generals like Elly Tumwine who think the country owes them because they fought in Luwero. We ask UPDF especially senior officers to emulate his example.

Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech has rightly been described as battle hardened, “Lion of Mogadishu” etc. He was a ruthless commander in the league of Lt. Gen. Olwelu. It is not surprising that a mission to hunt down those who attempted to kill Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala that he personally oversaw resulted into the murder of four suspects. There is an attempt to cover up these murders. The suspects had been arrested and dully subdued. Those that were not killed were severely tortured before they were presented to court. This is a matter that Lokech personally handled.

Combating crime is what everybody is yearning for but it must be lawfully done. Maj. Gen. Elly Kayanja commanded Operation Wembly whose order was “shot on sight.” Many people were murdered during this operation. The country dreads these kind of operations.

Police officers must therefore learn that life is precious. Don’t’ unlawfully terminate anybody’s life. It is as precious as yours.

Elly Tumwine on Kutesa’s work

Gen. Elly Tumwine who attended Kutesa’s burial hailed: “Pecos has laboured to transform his people through agriculture, soldiers should learn to serve and work with people to improve their livelihood.”

Lokech burial

Meanwhile security has confirmed Lt. Gen. Paul Lokech will buried with full honors from the police and the gun salute will be presented by the UPDF.

The pall bearers are UPDF officers at the rank of Major General, while the sword bearers are police officers at the rank of Commissioner.

People want Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech’s body to stop over in Gulu so that they can pay their last respects. In Pader, where he comes from, people have started setting the grave ahead of his burial on Friday.