By Wakibi Iddi
Kampala: Two new dormitory blocks that will house 518 Special Forces Command (SFC) personnel have been commissioned in Nakasero, with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni describing the project as an example of building according to available resources.
The facilities were constructed between 2023 and 2025 entirely by Ugandan professionals.
Commissioning the project on Thursday, Museveni, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), emphasised that keeping commanders and soldiers in barracks has both welfare and strategic benefits.
“We were always insisting that commanders must stay in the barracks,” he told officers at Nakasero, crediting Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for channelling operational funds into military housing.
The principle, he explained, is captured in a Banyankole proverb: “The shape of the head determines the hairstyle”, meaning institutions should plan according to what they can afford.
Museveni contrasted this with the armies under former presidents Idi Amin and Milton Obote, which, he said, prioritised high pay and barracks, while the National Resistance Army (NRA) began its struggle with 27 guns against an army of about 60,000 and prioritised weapons and training.
“What a soldier needs, apart from food and some clothes, is weapons and training. Even if that is all you have, you can still fight,” Museveni said.
State House Comptroller Jane Barekye said the project was delivered on time through teamwork involving the Estates Department, consultants led by Prof. John Stanley Ralph Senfuma and SFC personnel.
On behalf of the SFC, Commander Maj. Gen. Asaph Mweteise Nyakikuru welcomed the investment, saying it would improve personnel welfare and operational effectiveness.
He urged personnel to maintain the buildings as the command continues to invest in technology and command centres.
For technical adviser Prof. Senfuma, quality remained a priority throughout the project.
“We have not compromised on the quality because our objective is to deliver work of a quality that should not shame you for having tasked us to do it,” he said.
He stressed that even high-quality buildings require consistent maintenance and budgeting, adding that the project demonstrated the capacity of Ugandan professionals.“This work has been done by Ugandans, 100 percent,” Senfuma said.