By: Boy Fidel Leon
President Yoweri Museveni had a blunt message for newly commissioned UPDF officers at Kabamba Military Training School: the days when land, water, and air were enough are over.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Commander-in-Chief told the young officers that modern warfare now stretches into space and cyberspace, and Uganda’s military must dominate those domains or risk falling behind.
“Proficiency beyond traditional land, water, and air domains to include space and cyber operations is non-negotiable for the strategic security of Uganda and Africa,” Museveni said.
The President reached back into history to make his point. The National Resistance Army, which later became the UPDF, didn’t win the bush war because it had more soldiers. It won because it had better strategy and sharper tactics. Museveni wants that legacy preserved, urging the new officers to outthink adversaries rather than simply outgun them.
He also hammered home the importance of physical fitness, warning the officers not to let the discipline they built during training slip away. “The nation is counting on your service for years to come,” he said.
Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba held the ceremony in the soil beneath their feet. Kabamba isn’t just another training ground, it’s where the UPDF was born 44 years ago under Museveni’s leadership.
“The UPDF has since then developed into the biggest force in the country’s socio-economic transformation journey,” Gen Kainerugaba stated, linking military strength to Uganda’s broader development story.
He listed the UPDF’s regional footprint with evident pride: South Sudan, the DRC, Somalia, CAR, Equatorial Guinea. “It is a force for good,” he said. “Wherever the call of duty is made on the African continent, the UPDF stands ready to respond.”
That Pan-African identity wasn’t just rhetoric. The graduating class included cadets from Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Kenya, and the Central African Republic. Gen Kainerugaba credited Museveni for instilling that spirit of solidarity.
Addressing the new officers directly, Gen Kainerugaba praised their courage. “I contend that to become a soldier is the highest vocation in the whole of human life,” he said.
But he quickly tempered any celebration. Commissioning is just the starting line. “We will continue to sharpen them until they are the best warriors and commanders out there,” he warned.
On institutional reforms, the CDF outlined tangible improvements. These include better pay, expanded accommodation, and the soon-to-be-commissioned UPDF Referral Hospital. These signal a military modernising not just its weaponry but its treatment of personnel.
Then came the sharp turn. Gen Kainerugaba called corruption “abhorrent and a desecration of duty,” making clear that misuse of military resources won’t be tolerated. Decisive action is being taken against those who steal from the force.
He concluded by instructing the new officers to lead by example, stay physically and ideologically sharp, and prepare for deployment in frontline fighting formations. No desk jobs were being promised.
The ceremony drew Uganda’s top leadership, but two guests stood out: Maj. Gen. Ben Kite, who was Gen Kainerugaba’s platoon commander at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and Sam Instone, a former colleague at the UK institution. Gen Kainerugaba introduced them to the President. This was a highlight moment that underscored the UPDF’s international ties.
Defence Minister Jacob Oboth attended, along with State Minister for Defence Huda Oleru and Permanent Secretary Rose Byengoma. The UPDF’s top leadership was out in force: Chief of Joint Staff Lt Gen Jack Bakasumba, service chiefs, division commanders, and commanders from across the force.
Commissioning ceremonies can feel routine, with speeches, salutes, handshakes, photos. But this one carried weight. Museveni’s emphasis on space and cyber warfare signals that Uganda is watching how conflict is evolving globally. Drones, satellites and hacking are not science fiction any more.
Gen Kainerugaba’s focus on Pan-Africanism reflects a military that sees its mission extending beyond Uganda’s borders. The warnings about corruption and the emphasis on welfare suggest an institution trying to professionalise, raising standards while cracking down on rot from within.