The National Unity Platform (NUP) party spokesperson and Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi has given UPDF spokesperson Brigadier Felix Kulayigye 24 hours to take action against Kitgum Woman Member of Parliament Lilian Aber for donning military attire.

While addressing members of the press on February 8, 2024, at the party headquarters in Makerere Kavule, Ssenyonyi said the government has been selective on arrests, whereby many NUP supporters are still in prison for wearing a red beret, which bears a resemblance to military police head gear.

“We have many young people still in detention for just wearing the red beret, which the police say is a reserve for military police and thus shouldn’t be worn by civilians, and yet we saw the Aber wearing a full UPDF uniform and nothing has been done to her,” Ssenyonyi said.

“We want to see her and others like Minister Peter Egwang summoned by police and charged; if not, then we demand the immediate release of all NUP supporters in prison for wearing the red beret,” Ssenyonyi added.

Brig. Kulayigye, said that Aber, who was putting on the military uniform for the Tarehe Sita cleaning activities, has since apologized, and she was forgiven since she was a first-time offender.

On January 26, 2024, Ogwang also put on a camouflage uniform at the NRM 38th Celebrations in Jinja and posted photos on social media, which saw some social media X users criticize the UPDF for being selective on arrests of civilians in army uniforms, citing the case of many people power supporters arrested for wearing the red beret after police deemed it illegal since it resembles the military police beret.