Uganda`s Army (UPDF) Regards Media Reportage As ``Fictitious Fake News`` Aimed at Tarnishing Government, While The Army Denies Claims of Arresting People Power Supporters Wearing Red Berets.

Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has described as false and baseless media reports claiming that the Force has arrested some supporters of opposition pressure group ‘People Power’ found donning red berets.

This comes a couple of days after UPDF included a red beret and other items in the country’s first-ever gazette of all military clothing, which states that any member of the public found in possession of the items “is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life”, under section 160 of the 2005 UPDF Act.

According to the army spokesperson, Brig Richard Karemire, the move to gazette the UPDF dress code was endorsed by the top organs of the army which also commended the dress committee for concluding the task assigned to it years back.

Whereas, the UPDF Notice gazetted berets with the UPDF logo as a monopoly of the armed forces, some ‘People Power’ leaders including Bobi Wine already came out and claimed that the army targeted their ‘People Power’ berets.

Important to note is that a Section in the same Notice on the gazetted uniform prohibits wearing or use of any decoration “so nearly resembling that (UPDF) decoration and likely to deceive the public”.

It is perhaps this clause that Bobi Wine who has made red berets a signature wear for his political movement, is concerned about.

Nonetheless, some analysts describe the concerns by the ‘People Power’ camp as misinterpretation of the ingredients of UPDF gazette since it does not anywhere spell out the ‘People Power’ beret.

While addressing journalists on Tuesday afternoon, Bobi Wine accompanied by ‘People Power’ spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi and a number of his supporters including Members of Parliament, said one violates no law by putting on a red beret.

“This is not a UPDF beret, it is a People Power beret. We wear it as a sign against bad governance and dictatorship. It is a symbol of Ugandans yearning for change. We know that President Museveni is using all institutions to abuse and break the law and this is evident in everything that he does. His is doing ridiculous things but we all know that this is panic after realising that Ugandans have been awakened,” said Bobi Wine.

“Ugandans should know that they are not committing any crime by putting on red items. I want to encourage all of you to continue wearing the red beret because it is not a UPDF gear,” he added.

On Thursday, one of the online publication, quoted Brig Richard Karemire, the army spokesperson as having said: “UPDF has started arresting People Power members who defy red beret orders.”

But, when contacted, the army mouthpiece denied having talked to any of the reporters of the said publication.

“Some of your colleagues are really horrible. No one has ever talked to me. Those are not my words,” Karemire said.

“Who has been arrested since the notice was gazetted?” he asked.

The online news publication in question has since pulled down the story.