Gen Katumba, who was on Friday flagging off Uganda Battle Group 17 to Somalia said soldiers involved in corruption, especially selling of fuel and food meant for military operations, would face "tough consequences.”

 

A number of UPDF soldiers, including senior officers, have been on trial before the UPDF court martial for selling soldiers’ food and fuel. " All the supplies, including the food rations, fuel and ammunition, cannot be exchanged for anything. The response will be tough once you are implicated. This will be the same case with indiscipline,” Katumba said at Peace Support Training Centre in Singo Nakaseke District.

The army boss also warned against laxity within the force which he said exposes troops to enemy attacks. Last month, al Shabaab attacked a UPDF base in Janele, Southern Mogadishu, and killed 19 soldiers. President Museveni blamed the attack on laxity of UPDF soldiers. "We are telling our soldiers to be on maximum alert. The al Shabaab are terrorists who do not mind about life and strike at a time you least expect,” he said.

Ugabag 17, which is the biggest battle group ever to deploy in Somalia with 2,777 soldiers, was in South Sudan until early this year. The battle group is commanded by Col Bob Ogik.