By Cybernewsug | News Desk
KABAMBA – President Yoweri Museveni yesterday told newly commissioned officers that they have joined an honourable institution, the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), and thanked the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for fighting corruption and improving soldiers’ welfare. The President said he had been following the work of the CDF and his commanders in fighting corruption and ensuring the welfare of soldiers.
Speaking at the Uganda Military Academy, Kabamba, while officiating at the graduation and commissioning of 280 officer cadets, comprising 87 graduates from the three-year Bachelor of Defence Studies programme and 187 professional cadets, the President congratulated the officers and their families on reaching a significant milestone in their military careers.
The graduating cohort included officers from allied countries, namely Rwanda (01), Kenya (02) and Tanzania (02). It also included 04 trained in India, and 02 from the United Kingdom. Out of 280 officers commissioned yesterday, 51 were female, all of them from the UPDF.
President Museveni used the occasion to advise the new officers that a robust national defence is fundamentally anchored on a strong economy, wealth creation and a strong bond between the armed forces and the civilian population.
Recounting a recent strategic discussion with African defence chiefs, he said a strong national defence relies on multiple interlinked factors, chief among them a thriving economic foundation that sustains a strong military. He tasked military leadership with actively protecting wealth creators across agriculture, manufacturing, services and ICT to ensure continued economic growth, and advised the graduates that continuous training and advancement in science and technology are key to ensuring a strong military.
On grassroots security, the President pointed to petty crime, domestic interference in enterprise and livestock theft as continuing disruptions to rural households, stressing that such criminal activities must be decisively combated to protect families and local development. Turning to civil-military relations, the President underscored that the strength of the army depends heavily on its relationship with the people, reminding the officers that the army must operate like fish in water, maintaining a symbiotic and protective relationship with the citizenry.
At the same ceremony, Gen Kainerugaba, who was accompanied by his wife, Charlotte, warned against isolated cases of criminals waylaying, robbing and raping residents, declaring that security agencies will not tolerate criminal elements terrorising communities.
He noted that while regional peace and stabilisation missions in the DRC, South Sudan and Somalia remain robust and effective, domestic security has faced an emerging challenge in some parts of the country, which he vowed to deal with.
The CDF said criminal networks have used crude weapons and guns to commit robberies, killings and sexual violence.
“This will not be tolerated,” the CDF asserted, emphasizing that security agencies under the joint inter-agency framework are actively synchronising intelligence and operational efforts. He noted that no effort will be spared until the sanctity and the right to life and property is fully restored for all Ugandans.
Meanwhile, Gen Kainerugaba thanked the President for coming to preside over the ceremony and for his continued leadership and guidance. He said the UPDF remains anchored on uncompromised discipline, institutional loyalty and comprehensive ideological education, and pointed to improvements in soldier and officer welfare, including better pay, upgraded accommodation, advanced logistics, and improved health and educational services.
Source: UPDF
