KAMPALA- A UPDF soldier on Friday told a military court that his superiors carried out unauthorised training of Somali nationals outside the school’s training calendar, contrary to the army rules.

Pte Ronald Madozo Begyerize, a former course coordinator at Al-Jazeera Training Centre in Somalia, testified that Maj Frank Kaweru and Capt Hassan Wantimba induced unauthorised training of 19 Somali civilians outside the army schedule.

“On the training calendar, the security guards’ training was not provided for and the calendar was meant to guide the trainers to carry out their work in a specified period. When I asked one of the instructors, he told me they teach guards of a certain hotel at Al-Jazeera,” he testified.

Pte Begyerize was testifying against two army officers Maj Frank Kaweru and Capt. Hassan Wantimba before the General Court Martial in Makindye chaired by Gen Levi Karuhanga.

It is alleged that in May 2013 while at Al-Jazeera Training Centre in Mogadishu, Maj Kaweru and Capt Wantimba as officer in charge of training at Amisom headquarters and administrative officer respectively, induced the UPDF instructors to train 19 Somali civilians outside the school’s training calendar.

Accuse defended
However, another prosecution witness, Maj James Newman Bwa, a former directing staff at Amisom, told the court that the two former junior commanders did not conduct the alleged civilian training. He said the training was for guards to protect VIPs.

“These (trainees) were protecting VIPs like ministers. It was not on the calendar but the request was from the chief training officer. He directed that the training should not clash with those on the calendar,” Maj Newman said.

Section 175 provides that any person who induces or attempts to induce any officer or militant to neglect or to act in conflict with his or her military duty commits an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment not exceeding five years.

Source: Sunday Monitor