James Kazini
Encyclopedia
Major General James Kazini (1957–2009) was a Ugandan Army officer. Between 2001 and 2003, he served as Commander of the UPDF, a position that is now known as the Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda, the highest military position within the Uganda People's Defense Force.
, western Uganda
. He did not attain much formal education. Prior to 1984, Kazini was a member of the Uganda National Rescue Front
, a rebel group then headed by General Moses Ali
, which was based in West Nile
, in northwestern Uganda. Around 1984 he left that group and joined the National Resistance Army
, headed by Yoweri Museveni
, the current president of Uganda, as an enlisted soldier.
, Sergent, Cadet Officer. During that time, he became the head of General Salim Saleh's
body guards. In 1987, he became a commissioned officer at the rank of Captain. In 1989 he was promoted to Major
and made the commander of the military police
. In 1991 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
and was appointed Commander of Masaka Mechanized Regiment to replace Colonel Kizza Besigye
. In 1995 he was sent to West Nile to fight the General Ali Bamuze’s West Nile Rescue Front.
In 1996 he was promoted to Colonel
and appointed Deputy Divisional Commander of the Fourth Division of the UPDF
, based in Gulu
. This appointment caused a rift between the then commander of the Fourth Division, Brigadier Chefe Ali (R.I.P.) and Kazini. Ultimately Chefe was made Chief of Staff
of the UPDF and was transferred to Bombo Army Headquarters
and Kazini became full Commander of the Fourth Division. In March 1998, Kazini was deployed to Kasese District
to the fight the Allied Democratic Front rebels.
In 1999 was promoted to Brigadier
and was appointed Chief of Staff of the UPDF. He was also named Commander of Operation Safe Haven in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. In 2000, after two clashes between the armies of Rwanda
and Uganda
in Kisangani
(1999 and 2000), Kazini was recalled from the Congo.
In 2001, he was promoted to Major General
and appointed Commander of the Army. He was dropped as army commander in 2003 and was replaced by General Aronda Nyakairima
. In 2005, the position was renamed Chief of Defence Forces, a move that also saw the creation of other positions including:
, the Commander in Chief of the UPDF, committed Kazini and a dozen senior officers to the General Court Martial on various charges, especially creation and maintenance of “ghost” soldiers on the army payroll. Others included Brigadier Nakibus Lakara (former Chief of Staff), Brigadier Henry Tumukunde
(former director general of the Internal Security Organization) and Brigadier Andrew Guti, who was later pardoned and promoted.
Guti, now a Major General
, is the Commandant
of the Uganda Military Academy
in Kabamba, Mubende District
.
On March 27, 2008, when the General Court Martial under Lieutenant General
Ivan Koreta sentenced him to three years in jail for causing financial loss of Shs60 million (approximately US$30,000), Kazini wept. Kazini and others, still on trial, allegedly maintained 24,000 fictitious names on the army payroll which resulted in loss of Shs600 billion (approximately US$300 million) over 13 years. He later challenged the sentence in the Constitutional Court, arguing that the Court Martial had no jurisdiction to hear the case but he recently lost the appeal. He had lodged an appeal in the Supreme Court and the case was due for hearing.
He personally led the UPDF in Operation Iron Fist
against the Lord's Resistance Army from 2002-2003. He was suspended by President Museveni and stated that he was being sent to a war college, but it was widely suspected that he was suspended after allegations by the United Nations
and the Rwanda
n government that Kazini was plundering resources from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
during the Ituri conflict
. He was replaced by Lieutenant General Katumba Wamala
(then a Major General
), as Commander of the UPDF in the Congo
. He had precipitated the Ituri conflict when he had ignored the protests of the RCD-K
and appointed a Hema
as governor of the re-created Kibali-Ituri province.
suburb of Namuwongo
after being struck on the head with a metal pipe, during a domestic brawl. At the time of his death James Kazini was 52 years old. His alleged killer, 28 year-old Lydia Draru, who also goes by several different aliases, was arrested, presented before a magistrate and remanded to jail, pending trial for capital murder. Kazini leaves behind five (5) children, four (4) girls and one (01) boy; with two different women. His alleged killer did not have a child with him.
History
He was born in 1957 in the Basongora ethnic group, in Kasese DistrictKasese District
Kasese District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kasese, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:Kasese District is located along the Equator...
, western Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. He did not attain much formal education. Prior to 1984, Kazini was a member of the Uganda National Rescue Front
Uganda National Rescue Front
The Uganda National Rescue Front , refers to two former armed rebel groups in Uganda's West Nile sub-region that first opposed, then became incorporated into the Ugandan armed forces.-UNRF:...
, a rebel group then headed by General Moses Ali
Moses Ali
Lieutenant General Moses Ali is a Ugandan lawyer, politician and former military officer. He is the current Third Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business. He was appointed to that position in May 2011...
, which was based in West Nile
West Nile sub-region
West Nile sub-region is a region in north-western Uganda that consists of the districts of Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Maracha-Terego, Moyo, Nebbi and Yumbe...
, in northwestern Uganda. Around 1984 he left that group and joined the National Resistance Army
National Resistance Army
The National Resistance Army , the military wing of the National Resistance Movement , was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Luwero War or "the war in the bush", against the government of Milton Obote, and later that of Tito Okello.NRA was supported by Muammar...
, headed by Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...
, the current president of Uganda, as an enlisted soldier.
Military career
Over the years, he rose through the ranks; PrivatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
, Sergent, Cadet Officer. During that time, he became the head of General Salim Saleh's
Salim Saleh
General Salim Saleh , is an adviser to the President of Uganda on military matters. Formerly, he was the Ugandan Minister of State for Microfinance. Before that, he was a high ranking military official of UPDF, the armed forces of Uganda. He is a brother of the current President of Uganda, Yoweri...
body guards. In 1987, he became a commissioned officer at the rank of Captain. In 1989 he was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and made the commander of the military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
. In 1991 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and was appointed Commander of Masaka Mechanized Regiment to replace Colonel Kizza Besigye
Kizza Besigye
Warren Kizza Besigye Kifefe, commonly known as Kizza Besigye, is a Ugandan physician, politician and former military officer, in the in the UPDF. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Forum for Democratic Change political party...
. In 1995 he was sent to West Nile to fight the General Ali Bamuze’s West Nile Rescue Front.
In 1996 he was promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and appointed Deputy Divisional Commander of the Fourth Division of the UPDF
Uganda People's Defence Force
The Uganda Peoples Defence Force , previously the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates the UPDF has a total strength of 40–45,000, and consists of land forces and an Air Wing.The IISS Military Balance 2007 says there...
, based in Gulu
Gulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
. This appointment caused a rift between the then commander of the Fourth Division, Brigadier Chefe Ali (R.I.P.) and Kazini. Ultimately Chefe was made Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the UPDF and was transferred to Bombo Army Headquarters
Bombo, Uganda
-Location:Bombo is located approximately , by road, north of Uganda's capital, Kampala. The coordinates of the town are:00 34 40N, 32 32 42E .-Municipalities in Luweero District:Bombo is a municipality in Luweero District...
and Kazini became full Commander of the Fourth Division. In March 1998, Kazini was deployed to Kasese District
Kasese District
Kasese District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kasese, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:Kasese District is located along the Equator...
to the fight the Allied Democratic Front rebels.
In 1999 was promoted to Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and was appointed Chief of Staff of the UPDF. He was also named Commander of Operation Safe Haven in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. In 2000, after two clashes between the armies of Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
in Kisangani
Kisangani
Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
(1999 and 2000), Kazini was recalled from the Congo.
In 2001, he was promoted to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and appointed Commander of the Army. He was dropped as army commander in 2003 and was replaced by General Aronda Nyakairima
Aronda Nyakairima
General Aronda Nyakairima is a Ugandan Army officer. He is the current Chief of Defense Forces of Uganda, the highest military rank in the Uganda People's Defense Force. He was born in 1959, in Rukungiri District.-Education:...
. In 2005, the position was renamed Chief of Defence Forces, a move that also saw the creation of other positions including:
- Chief of Defence Forces - Currently General Aronda NyakairimaAronda NyakairimaGeneral Aronda Nyakairima is a Ugandan Army officer. He is the current Chief of Defense Forces of Uganda, the highest military rank in the Uganda People's Defense Force. He was born in 1959, in Rukungiri District.-Education:...
- Deputy Chief of Defence Forces - Currently Lieutenant General Ivan Koreta
- Chief of Staff of the UPDF - Currently Lieutenant General Robert Rusoke
- Chief of the Land Forces - Currently Lieutenant General Katumba WamalaKatumba WamalaLieutenant General Edward Katumba Wamala, more commonly known as Katumba Wamala, is a Ugandan Army officer and former policeman. He is the Commander of Land Forces in the Uganda People's Defense Force...
- Chief of the Air Force - Currently Major General Jim Oweyesigire
- Chief of Special Forces - Currently Lieutenant Colonel Muhoozi KainerugabaMuhoozi KainerugabaMuhoozi Kainerugaba is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Uganda People's Defence Force . He is the Commander of the Special Forces Group, which contains the unit known as Presidential Guard Brigade responsible for providing security to the President of Uganda and to Uganda's constitutional monarchs...
Interdiction
In December 2003, President Yoweri MuseveniYoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...
, the Commander in Chief of the UPDF, committed Kazini and a dozen senior officers to the General Court Martial on various charges, especially creation and maintenance of “ghost” soldiers on the army payroll. Others included Brigadier Nakibus Lakara (former Chief of Staff), Brigadier Henry Tumukunde
Henry Tumukunde
Brigadier Henry Tumukunde is a Senior Officer of the Uganda People's Defence Forces and a qualified attorney. He has served as the UPDF's Chief Of Personnel and Administration, Chief Of Military Intelligence as well as serving as the Commanding Officer of The UPDF Northern Fourth Division. He has...
(former director general of the Internal Security Organization) and Brigadier Andrew Guti, who was later pardoned and promoted.
Guti, now a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, is the Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Uganda Military Academy
Uganda Military Academy
The Uganda Military Academy, is a military academy in Uganda, East Africa. Traditionally, graduates of the Military Academy are commissioned as officers in the Uganda People's Defence Force. Other African countries also send their cadets to the academy for training...
in Kabamba, Mubende District
Mubende District
Mubende is a district in Central Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Mubende. Mubende District was reduced in size in July 2005 with the creation of Mityana District.-Location:...
.
On March 27, 2008, when the General Court Martial under Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Ivan Koreta sentenced him to three years in jail for causing financial loss of Shs60 million (approximately US$30,000), Kazini wept. Kazini and others, still on trial, allegedly maintained 24,000 fictitious names on the army payroll which resulted in loss of Shs600 billion (approximately US$300 million) over 13 years. He later challenged the sentence in the Constitutional Court, arguing that the Court Martial had no jurisdiction to hear the case but he recently lost the appeal. He had lodged an appeal in the Supreme Court and the case was due for hearing.
Military leadership
One of the attributes that served him well on his rise to the top in the UPDF is his reputation as a fearless soldier, often personally leading his soldiers into battle on the front-lines. The other attribute was his total commitment to the Commander in Chief and the UPDF. Museveni is reported to have repeatedly ignored complaints about Kazini's limited formal education. Over the years, he repeatedly promoted him and gave him increasing security and defense responsibilities.He personally led the UPDF in Operation Iron Fist
Lord's Resistance Army (2002-2005)
The period from 2000 to 2006 of the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in northern Uganda begins with the assault of the Uganda People's Defence Force upon LRA strongholds in South Sudan. This in turn led to a series of retaliatory attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army of an intensity not seen to...
against the Lord's Resistance Army from 2002-2003. He was suspended by President Museveni and stated that he was being sent to a war college, but it was widely suspected that he was suspended after allegations by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n government that Kazini was plundering resources from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
during the Ituri conflict
Ituri Conflict
The Ituri conflict is a conflict between the agriculturalist Lendu and pastoralist Hema ethnic groups in the Ituri region of the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo . While there have been many phases to the conflict, the most recent armed clashes ran from 1999 to 2003, with a low-level...
. He was replaced by Lieutenant General Katumba Wamala
Katumba Wamala
Lieutenant General Edward Katumba Wamala, more commonly known as Katumba Wamala, is a Ugandan Army officer and former policeman. He is the Commander of Land Forces in the Uganda People's Defense Force...
(then a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
), as Commander of the UPDF in the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. He had precipitated the Ituri conflict when he had ignored the protests of the RCD-K
Rally for Congolese Democracy
The Congolese Rally for Democracy, sometimes Rally for Congolese Democracy, was a rebel group operating in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Assisted by the government of Rwanda, it was a major factor in the Second Congo War . It became a political party in 2003...
and appointed a Hema
Hema people
The Hema, or Hima, are an ethnic group with about 160,000 members located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular the Ituri region and Orientale province, as well as parts of Uganda and Rwanda...
as governor of the re-created Kibali-Ituri province.
Death
On the morning of Tuesday 10 November 2009, sometime around 6AM local time, Major General James Kazini died at the home of his girlfriend, in the KampalaKampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
suburb of Namuwongo
Namuwongo
-Location:Namuwongo is bordered by Lugogo to the north, Nakawa to the northeast, Kiswa and Bugoloobi to the east, Muyenga to the southeast, Kisugu and Kabalagala to the south, Kibuli to the west and Kololo to the northwest...
after being struck on the head with a metal pipe, during a domestic brawl. At the time of his death James Kazini was 52 years old. His alleged killer, 28 year-old Lydia Draru, who also goes by several different aliases, was arrested, presented before a magistrate and remanded to jail, pending trial for capital murder. Kazini leaves behind five (5) children, four (4) girls and one (01) boy; with two different women. His alleged killer did not have a child with him.
External links
- BBC Profile
- General Kazini Killed During Domestic Brawl
- Lydia Dralu's Account of Events Leading to Kazini's Death
- Brief Biography at New Vision Newspapers
- Was Kazini plotting against Museveni?
See also
- Salim SalehSalim SalehGeneral Salim Saleh , is an adviser to the President of Uganda on military matters. Formerly, he was the Ugandan Minister of State for Microfinance. Before that, he was a high ranking military official of UPDF, the armed forces of Uganda. He is a brother of the current President of Uganda, Yoweri...
- Elly TumwineElly TumwineGeneral Elly Tumwine , is a Ugandan professional artist, educator and military officer. He is a former Commander of the Army in Uganda, the highest military position in the country at that time...
- Mugisha MuntuMugisha MuntuMajor General Mugisha Muntuyera, commonly referred to as Mugisha Muntu, is a Ugandan politician and former military officer. He is a member of the Forum for Democratic Change , a Ugandan political party. In 2008, he unsuccessfully contested for the party's presidency, against Kizza Besigye...
- Jeje OdongoJeje OdongoGeneral Haji Abubaker Jeje Odongo is a Ugandan military officer and politician. He is the current State Minister for Defence in Uganda, a post he has served in since February 2009.-History:...
- Aronda NyakairimaAronda NyakairimaGeneral Aronda Nyakairima is a Ugandan Army officer. He is the current Chief of Defense Forces of Uganda, the highest military rank in the Uganda People's Defense Force. He was born in 1959, in Rukungiri District.-Education:...
- Uganda People's Defence ForceUganda People's Defence ForceThe Uganda Peoples Defence Force , previously the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates the UPDF has a total strength of 40–45,000, and consists of land forces and an Air Wing.The IISS Military Balance 2007 says there...