----- Original Message ----- 
From: Vovi Uganda e.V. 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Cc: [log in to unmask] ; [log in to unmask] ; [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 11:03 AM
Subject: UPDF Faces Suit Over Uniforms 


UPDF Faces Suit Over Uniforms 

By WAIRAGALA WAKABI 
THE EASTAFRICAN 

THE UGANDA People's Defence Forces (UPDF) faces a Ush1.1 billion ($565,552) lawsuit over its failure to pay Ush52 million ($26,735) for and take delivery of 5,000 pieces of ceremonial dress that it ordered for its officers two years ago. 

Although some officials of the Ministry of Defence, including the new Army Chief of Staff Brig. Joshua Masaba, have proposed that deductions be made from the salaries of UPDF officers to recover the money, the army's Director of Finance Major Simon Ochan is opposed to the idea. 

On December 11, 2003, Sempasa and Company Advocates warned the Defence and Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ministries they would sue the army on behalf of the suppliers Eladam Enterprises of Jinja in eastern Uganda.  

They said that, while the firm supplied shirts and trousers worth over Ush100 million ($51,413) in 2002, some Ush54 million ($27,763) was still outstanding. The lawyers added that the ministry had also failed to take delivery of up to 5,000 ceremonial uniforms, which it ordered from the company two years ago. 

The impending suit comes at a time when the UPDF is involved in another saga over ceremonial uniforms. The EastAfrican reported last week that a Kenya-based Burundian businessman, George Rogers, had imported ceremonial dress and other paraphernalia without authorisation from the army's procurement authorities. The army has rejected the goods though Crown Rock Shield, the importers, are trying to persuade the Chief of Logistics and Engineering to take them. 

Officials from Crown Rock Shield were in Kampala last week, but it was not possible to establish whom they met while they were in the country. 

In 2002, Eladam Enterprises and Phoenix Logistics were the two local firms pre-qualified by the Military Tender Board to supply uniforms to the UPDF.  

Eladam was subsequently given a list of UPDF officers who were supposed to receive ceremonial uniforms. It had to take the measurements of the officers and then supply the dress. Each dress comprises trousers, a shirt with metallic buttons emblazoned with the national court of arms, and a tie. 

Eyasu Sirak, managing director of Eladam Enterprises, told The EastAfrican that while the army initially took ceremonial dress worth Ush100 million ($51,000), it has failed to pay a balance of Ush54 million ($27,600). In addition, it has not taken about 5,000 uniforms, which are now said to be lying in the dressmaker's warehouses in Jinja.  

"I imported the fabric and the buttons, all of which cost me more than $150,000 (Ush291.75 million). Now my capital is tied up because of the UPDF," he said. 

The EastAfrican has seen a letter from Brig Masaba to Major Ochan advising that from February 2004, arrears owed on uniforms delivered in 2002 be paid within two months. Brig Masaba said deductions should be made from the salaries of officers to pay for the ceremonial dress now with Eladam Enterprises.  

The deductions were to be made over a 10-month period. Each uniform costs Ush220,000 ($114), which implies that Ush22,000 would be deducted from each officer's salary for a total of 10 months. 

At the time the tender was given to Eladam, the suppliers were also supposed to provide boots, but a committee comprising the Permanent Secretary, then Chief of Staff Brig Nakibus Lakara and Chief of Logistics and Engineering Brig Oketa, and the Secretary for Defence, struck off the items in order to reduce the amount each soldier was to pay. 

However, Major Ochan has said the suppliers did not take the measurements of all officers so the army should not take all the uniforms. He said only officers whose measurements were taken should receive their uniforms and have deductions made from their salaries.  

But Mr Sirak insisted that though that they did not take the measurements of every officer, they took a random sample that enabled them to make uniforms for all the officers. 
"You do not measure every officer, you do it scientifically," he said.  

"Even in the US and other armies, that is the way it is done; you do not measure one by one. I challenge him to give me 24 hours to provide a uniform for any officer and see if I fail." 

Kagoro Asingura, the army's Director for Legal Services, on October 20, 2003, advised the Chief of Staff that Eladam should be paid immediately, adding that "the court process is expensive and UPDF would definitely lose this case." 

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