Mutale accused of recruiting children By Emma Mutaizibwa July 13, 2003 Members of Parliament Odonga Otto and Okumu Reagan have accused Maj. Kakooza Mutale of luring children into military service.
Mutale is a presidential assistant on military affairs. Okumu is MP for Aswa county while Otto is MP for Aruu. Mutale heads a paramilitary group, Kalangala Action Plan (KAP). Addressing a news conference at Parliament on Thursday, the MPs alleged that Mutale recruited some young boys aged below 18 pretending he was taking them to school. The MPs said the boys were taken to Matembe Institute of Technology in Luwero for military training. "On July 10, about 11 boys escaped from military training as a result of hardships and got stranded in Kampala. So people told them to go to the Central Police Station where they have been till today [Thursday]," Mr Okumu said. He said some of them were Mr Robert Ocen, Mr Patrick Opira, Mr Geoffrey Oyet, Mr David Owot, Mr Joseph Oketa and Mr David Odong. He said the children were from Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Masindi, Iganga Pallisa and Mbarara districts. "Maj. Mutale uses the Movement bus to ferry his 'students' from upcountry. This started on June 26," he said. Okumu said Mutale brought about 170 students promising them secondary education. He said the children however later escaped from the training. "When the children began escaping Maj. Mutale called for a Kipindi [general assembly during military training] on July 6," Okumu said. Okumu said that during the Kipindi, many children opted to leave, but Mutale told them that those who wanted to go would walk back to their homes. Okumu said Government should explain why Mutale was training a paramilitary force using the Movement bus. He said the Ministry of Education should inform the public whether Mutale's school was registered. Mr Otto who said he was at CPS on Wednesday night, alleged that the boys had wounds and most of them looked below 18 years of age. The MPs' claims could not be independently verified and Mutale could not be reached for comment as his telephone was off. Mutale's aide Lt. Chris Kakama too could not be reached as his telephone was on voice mail. � 2003 The Monitor Publications -- He it is Who created for you all that is on earth...He is the All-knower of everything. Swaddaq Allahu Al-Adhim. Michael Bwambuga. __________________________________________________________________ McAfee VirusScan Online from the Netscape Network. Comprehensive protection for your entire computer. Get your free trial today! http://channels.netscape.com/ns/computing/mcafee/index.jsp?promo=393397 Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 free of charge. Download Now! http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promo=380455
