As Uganda heads into another tense political season, one truth cannot be ignored: symbols matter. They are not just colours, slogans, or clothing. They carry meaning, authority, and in some cases, real danger. Few symbols have as much weight as the red beret.
What the National Unity Platform (NUP) and its leader, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, present as a badge of resistance is, in fact, official military attire. The red beret belongs to the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), specifically the Military Police. It is not a fashion accessory, and it is certainly not a political emblem. It is a uniform earned only by those who have undergone training, discipline, and sacrifice in the service of the state.
The law is not ambiguous. In 2019, the government moved to protect military symbols. On September 18 of that same year, the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Adolf Mwesigye, gazetted the red beret under Section 160 of the UPDF Act 2005. Brigadier Richard Karemire, then UPDF spokesperson, stated it plainly:
“The dress code for the UPDF has been gazetted… It manifests the commitment to define the identity and outlook of a professional army.”
From that moment, the beret became exclusive military property. Civilians caught wearing it risk prosecution, with penalties stretching up to life imprisonment in extreme cases. Yet, NUP leadership has shamelessly disregarded the law. They continue to parade supporters in red berets at rallies and demonstrations, claiming that their versions lack UPDF insignia. This is a legal gimmick that misses the point. The law intends to safeguard military identity and prevent impersonation, not to debate over logos.
Worryingly, NUP has gone beyond mere colour symbolism and ventured into outright mimicry of the army. In widely circulated recordings, their supporters were seen parading in formation, wearing red berets, and singing military songs. At the centre of it all, Bobi Wine referred to them as “soldiers.” This was not innocent enthusiasm. It was a calculated display designed to blur the line between political activism and military posturing.
No responsible government anywhere in the world would allow such a practice. In the United States, impersonating a soldier is a criminal offence. In the UK, civilians cannot wear military uniforms or medals they have not earned. In Kenya, the law strictly prohibits any political group from dressing in attire resembling the police or army, with harsh penalties for offenders. Even in Tanzania, political parties are forbidden from using military style uniforms, precisely because such behaviour provokes the state and endangers public order.
History offers sobering lessons. In 1930s Germany, Adolf Hitler’s Brownshirts (SA) began as a political militia, dressing in military style uniforms to intimidate opponents and project power. What started as “symbolism” eventually became violent paramilitarism that destabilised democracy. In Rwanda before the 1994 genocide, youth militias dressed in military-like attire under political parties, sending signals of force rather than dialogue. The results were catastrophic.
Uganda does not need to repeat these mistakes. When a political party stages military style parades, it is no longer engaging in normal democratic activity. It is provoking the state and endangering its own supporters. What happens, for example, when NUP “parade soldiers” meet actual soldiers in a tense standoff? Confusion, confrontation, and possibly bloodshed. By promoting the red beret and referring to their supporters as “soldiers,” NUP leadership is not only undermining the law but also gambling with lives.
Beyond safety, there is also the matter of principle. Politics must remain civilian-led. Military symbols are not props for rallies; they are badges of service. Uganda’s democracy is healthier when political identity is defined through colours, slogans, and vision, not through uniforms reserved for those who bear arms in defence of the nation.
Red as a colour belongs to NUP. That is their legitimate political identity. But the red beret belongs to the UPDF, and only to them. It is a mark of discipline, service, and sacrifice, not of protest.
The responsibility now lies with NUP leadership. Bobi Wine cannot continue to encourage supporters to wear berets, march in formation, and sing soldier songs while pretending this is harmless. It is not harmless. It is illegal, provocative, and dangerous. Leaders must protect their followers, not expose them.
As this political season heats up, one line must remain firm: Uganda’s politics should be defined by dialogue, debate, and democratic competition, not the imitation of an army. The red beret is a soldier’s symbol. It belongs to the UPDF, and that is where it must remain.
By Gerald Kansiime Kagyenzi
The writer is a Concerned Ugandan