Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Kalangala Action Plan (Uganda)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 199
Country: Uganda
Date formed: Jan. 1, 2001
    Accuracy of date formed: year
Details of Formation: The KAP is an informal group created and headed by Maj. Ronald Kakooza Mutale, then a senior presidential adviser. It was officially launched in 2001 as a mobilisation group for the reelection of president Museveni and part of Museveni’s election campaign strategy (Human Rights Watch 2003, 2004, 2010).
Date dissolved: Unknown
    Accuracy of date dissolved: day
Details of Termination: The group is not officially terminated and may be mobilised in further presidential election campaigns to ensure Museveni’s victory.
Termination Type(s): none

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? no
    Former Armed Group? NA
Former Rebel Group? no
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: none
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: informal (type 1)
Created by the Government?: yes
    Main Creating Government Institution: person/minister
Government Link(s): person/minister
    If link to party, name of party:
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: no information
Shared Personnel: no information
Type(s) of Material Support: military
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: village/rural; adolescents; children; ex soldiers; party activists; peasants
Primary Membership: political
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: countrywide
Force Strength: [150, 800]
Target(s): criminals; unarmed political opposition, government critics
Purpose(s): intimidation of civilians; intimidate political opposition

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: not applicable
Ethnic Purpose: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: not applicable

Other Information

Other Information: The group was originally used in 2001 and then again in 2006 during presidential election campaigns. They were also reported present at a by-election in 2007 (although no violence was reported). They are government trained and reports claim they wear green uniforms. Their members include several ministers.

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The militia was trained in order to forcefully influence the 2001 election to Museveni’s advantage by deliberately using violence and intimidation. If a specific area was opposed to Museveni’s candidature, the KAP would travel to that region and intimidate people armed with sticks and guns. They kidnapped and tortured opposition leaders and help mobilise Museveni’s supporters (Rukooko 2005: 217-18). The KAP successfully fulfilled its purpose as Museveni emerged as the winner of the 2001 and subsequent elections.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use deniability of violence

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: The KAP arbitrarily arrested and detained people despite having no legal authority to do so, and violently attacked opposition supporters. All levels of government deny that they control the KAP and other paramilitary groups, making accountability almost impossible (Human Rights Watch 2003, 2010).
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: killing; beating; torture

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: The militia drew its membership from loyalists of President Museveni's National Resistance Movement (NRM) and was described by the president as a "political action group for disturbed areas” (Human Rights Watch 2009).
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size: Reports on group size range from 150 to 800 members.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: The State House officially requested the UPDF to arm the KAP (Human Rights Watch 2003). They underwent military training and used sticks and guns.

Organisation

Organisation: The group was headed by Senior Presidential Political Adviser, Maj. Ronald Kakooza Mutale (Rukooko 2005: 218).

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Human Rights Watch. 2003. “Abducted and Abused: Renewed War in Northern Uganda.”

Human Rights Watch. 2004. "State of Pain: Torture in Uganda."

Human Rights Watch. 2009. "Open Secret: Illegal Detention and Torture by the Joint Anti-terrorism Task Force in Uganda."

Human Rights Watch. 2010. "Uganda: Keep Election Campaign Free of Abuses. Prosecute Past Political Violence; Stop Intimidation of Media."

Rukooko, A. Byaruhanga. 2005. Protracted Civil War, Civil Militias and Political Transition in Uganda since 1986. In David J. Francis (ed.) Civil Militia: Africa’s intractable security menace? Aldershot: Ashgate, 213-230.

Evidence