By Will Ross BBC, Kampala

Museveni likes to wear khaki - even the floppy sunhat

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has formally retired from the military, but not before he was promoted to the rank of general.

President Museveni will stay commander-in-chief of the army.

His official retirement from military duties is the result of a legal requirement which bars serving soldiers from being active members of a political party, ahead of Uganda's expected return to multi-party politics.

After the pips on President Museveni's lapels were changed at a ceremony at Bombo barracks, Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi, thanked his president for what he called a job well done.

He then presented a certificate of retirement to the president.

Wearing his floppy military sunhat, Gen Museveni said he has left the army to fight new battles.

It is assumed that he means taking on the opposition parties from within the National Resistance Movement Organisation, NRMO.

Bush career

Betty Kamya of the Reform Agenda pressure group described Gen Museveni's military retirement as a good step but said it won't mean much unless he steps down from political office in 2006 - as the current constitution demands.

Retired General Yoweri Museveni today said: "People have been wondering since I'm retiring if I will still be able to eliminate the Lords Resistance Army, LRA rebels."

He answered: "Yes because I am the commander-in-chief."

This uniform is very good against mosquitoes - that's why I don't get malaria President Museveni

Yoweri Museveni has been a military man since the 1970s - his Front for National Salvation, along with other forces, including the Tanzanian army, ousted Idi Amin from power in 1979.

He then went to the bush after the chaotic 1980 elections to form the National Resistance Army (NRA) which fought its way to power in 1986.

Ask Ugandans what is the best thing President Museveni has done and many suggest keeping a relatively well-disciplined army - at least compared to former regimes.

But some opposition politicians criticise his hold on the current army.

MP Winnie Byanyima claims that Mr Museveni now has an even firmer personal hold on the army and suggests the presidency and the military will only be completely delinked after he has left power.

At his military camp in Lira, I recently asked the president when he would be taking his uniform off.

He gave little away in his answer.