Former Defense Counsel in the General Court Martial (GCM), Maj. (Rtd) Roland Iduli is contesting his unlawful and wrongful discharge from the Museveni army that he served for 18 years. He has served as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and the Attorney General with Notice of Intention to sue for damages of 1.2b shillings for unfair, illegal, malicious and forceful retirement.
He cites provisions of the UPDF Act that mandates the Commissions Board as the only body with powers of retiring officers who have applied. He argues that in June 2016 the President re-appointed him as the Defence Counsel in the GCM. However, a month later the Chief of Legal Services (CLS) directed him to handover office. He wrote to the CLS seeking a hearing which was never granted. Instead, the Deputy
CLS convened a departmental meeting that recommended that Maj. Iduli's name be forwarded to the Commissions Board as a voluntary retirement applicant.
In August 2016, the Chief of Personnel and Administration (CPA) selected Maj. Iduli to attend a Junior Command Course. The DLS wrote to the CPA informing him that Maj. Iduli's 'voluntary application' for
retirement had been approved. A military radio message of 16th August 2016 over the retirees (Maj. Iduli inclusive) stipulated that the affected servicemen were those with medical problems, old age as well as voluntary applicants. Maj. Iduli did not qualify under any of the above grounds hence the basis of the intention to sue.
Maj. Ronald Iduli defended several high-profile cases before the GCM whereby he exhibited professionalism. The Kabamba Attack treason trial, Rwenzururu Attack of 2014, Col. Kimbowa of 2015, Lt. Col Olanya Ojara of the AMISOM fuel theft, Lt Col. Mutua of the AMISOM tank Unit, the M.P Kabaziguruka treason trial and several others.
During the Rwenzururu Attack trial, he vehemently objected to the trial of civilians in the Military Court citing lack of jurisdiction owing to the Supreme Court ruling outlawing trial of civilians in military courts. He objected to his clients taking plea before the GCM in absence of their private Lawyers. These and other factors must have placed Maj. Iduli on a collision course with the establishment. As we earlier highlighted in our previous pieces on the Museveni military courts vide:
1. NRA GENERAL COURT MARTIAL - A TOOL OF DETENTION WITHOUT TRIAL.
2. WHAT SECRETS ARE IN THE COURT MARTIAL?
Maj. Iduli's professional conduct must have placed him in a position of being a liability to the institution. There is a lot of corruption, abuse of office, selective prosecution, human rights violations,
influence peddling, and intrigue among the key players in military courts. Military Courts are responsible for inculcating the culture of impunity for the beneficiaries of human rights abuses and
multibillion financial scandals in the army.
Maj. Iduli is just luck that he was maliciously retired within three months after the fall out. Thousands of both senior and junior servicemen are craving for such an opportunity to no avail. It was highly probable that he would have been left rotting on Katebbe (undeployed) for decades before being sent to distribute seeds under OWC just like another Lawyer Maj. by @UC Browser 
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