President Museveni who is also the commander in chief of armed forces,has on Friday promoted the fallen Deputy Inspector of Police Paul Lokech to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Lokech who died last week on Saturday due to blood clot was buried yesterday at his ancestral home in Pader district.
Museveni explained that this was in appreciation of the great service Lt Gen Lokech has rendered during the time he was putting on the army uniform.
“I have heard some civilians getting out of their Lubimbi (Katara- area of responsibility) proposing that he be promoted to full General. I would like to educate our citizens that the army is like the church which the civilians know more about. You cannot appoint a reverend a bishop unless there is a diocese that needs a bishop, even if the reverend is very good,” he said .
Museveni stated that the ranks in the army go with the levels of training and performance.
“Having been, lately, Deputy Inspector General of Police, the rank of Lieutenant -General is the appropriate one,” he noted.
Museveni said that he personally as Commander-in-Chief worked closely with Lokech three times, where he did meritorious service.
He noted that on one occasion, he was in Gulu with the anti-LRA operations and was informed that there was a Commander that routinely fought through LRA ambushes in the area between Atanga and Acholibur.
He added that Second time, he heard of Lokech was when he was Contingent Commander in Somalia.
“I hereby, using the authority given to the President by Articles 98 and 99 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, promote Major General Paul Lokech, Posthumously, to the rank of Lieutenant – General.” Gen Museveni said
President Museveni also promised to give all necessary support to the family of the Lion of Magadishu.
He praised Lokech for the job Well done adding that it was because of him that they were able to defeat Alshabab in Somalia.
“Remember that we had gone to Mogadishu not to fight but simply do peace-keeping by guarding the Sea-Port, Air-port and State House,” he said.
“It is the bankruptcy of Al-Shabaab that forced us to go on the offensive and flush out the terrorists out of the areas of: Wanaha Road, Red Mosque, Bakara market, Mogadishu stadium, Mogadishu University, etc.”
He explained that Lokech and his colleagues were ready for the job and that is how he apparently got the praise name of the “Lion of Mogadishu”.
“I was not aware of that [his nickname] until after his death. However, what I was aware of was that Lokech was one of the good commanders that had performed well in the battles against Al-Shabaab in Somalia,” he noted.