President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to shun corruption, warning that it threatens not only the integrity of the army but also the lives of soldiers on the battlefield.
Addressing a passing-out ceremony for 413 army officers at the Uganda Military Academy in Kabamba, Mubende district, Museveni emphasised the importance of discipline, personal health, and equipment maintenance as core values of a professional soldier.
“Love yourself so that you don’t die of diseases, alcohol or drugs. You should remain healthy, but as we told you, you must also love your equipment because if you don’t look after it well, especially if you are corrupt, when war comes, you will die. When you see a corrupt soldier, he is your enemy and the enemy of the country,” Museveni said.
The officers, who completed a six-month intensive training in armour military warfare, included 74 armour platoon commanders, 122 armour technicians, and 217 armour crews. The President congratulated them on mastering complex tank operations and tactical manoeuvres in a relatively short period.
“You have learned quickly in six months. You mastered this equipment in the four specialised courses mentioned. I congratulate you and pass you out today,” Museveni said.
He noted that while warfare is an ancient practice, its success depends on the integration of modern technology and strategic organisation.
“As I told your commanders, war is an old science and an old art. Science in the form of equipment and art in the way you are organised and utilise the equipment. Science always influences the organisation and the tactics.” Museveni also warned that tanks and mechanised assets now face new threats, especially from aerial technologies such as drones and air strikes, urging the graduates to keep pace with evolving warfare trends.
Museveni said the tank is no longer safe by default, with air force and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) posing real threats. Furthermore, the President reaffirmed his commitment to the ongoing modernisation of the UPDF, praising current army leadership for its work in strengthening welfare, training, and infrastructure.
Museveni said that he’s happy that modernising the UPDF continues and that the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) is still working on welfare, training, and building barracks and other facilities.
Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, revealed that the UPDF is in the process of upgrading all military training centres into centres of excellence. Fourteen institutions, including the Kabamba Academy, have already achieved this status. Okiding cautioned the graduates against complacency and indiscipline.
Brig Gen Peter Chandia, the commandant of the Armoured Warfare Training School, said the graduates are now equipped with practical skills in mechanised warfare and are capable of deploying modern firepower and mobility tactics in real battle scenarios.
Let me report this fresh incident here
… hopefully, someone is reading.
Just about an hour ago this evening of July 17 2025, I happened to be in country, passing through Kira, I saw by the road side, as one ascends towards the roundabout to Kira from Najjera, road construction equipment parked by the roadside and kept under close watch by what I saw as 2 UPDF uniformed personnel. Electricity was off at the time of my passing, but lightning from the generators was still sufficient for one to see clearly. In me, was thinking like these guys are smart to employ better security for the equipment, etc. My mother-of-surprises came to life almost immediately when I saw about 2 or 3 guys turn up in an old white Toyota Kibina that I recall was a UAF number plate, they backed up near the graders, got out with jerricans and siphoning tubes, went to the graders and came back in a short while with full fuel, all this under the careful watchful eye of the supposed galant soldiers of the nation who are charged with keeping national interests. One soldier had a dark bandaba on his head with the soldiers actually peeping to see whether anyone comes unannounced while their thieving masters are finishing the deal!!! This is practically broad day theft … I rubbed my eyes to ensure it wasn’t a dream!!!
So, I was thinking, “Soldiers, do you know that you’re cheating your ultimate masters? Do you also know that you’ve acted treasonously on Uganda?” I dared not approach them with my English … You see, the Chinese don’t make loses; Uganda pays … both the allowances for the soldiers on duty as well as the bill for the thefts. Indeed, I also thought of the incidents of those burglars we hear of that use police / army guns to do their heinous crimes and saw that it was very much possible that we’re far far away from anything INTEGRITY! If these soldiers knew that they would face the music for any shortage while on duty and that justice would be served swiftly, I highly doubt they’d even ever have a hint of being like scarecrows – I know disciplinary procedures in the army are quite tough & rough.
Concerned J you have a point indeed. Such a crime depicts well what an African personal army is all about. Most of the public know very well that the Republican Uganda Army is there for the President of Uganda to keep him in a secure position for himself and for themselves. That is why when there is regime change, the leader departs together with his army so that the next one can take over. Uganda now counts about 4 regime changes with about 4 Uganda Armies. And unfortunately these have been the so called national African armies that have all along been fighting each other for the last 63 years and counting. When President Amin had run out of money to run his army, he advised them to use their guns to look for their next meal! They have been creating civil wars and plundering the country at the tax payer’s expense. That is why most countries train all the young people of age 19 to 20 in the art of war to defend their country, so that they can understand the meaning and objectives of a proper national army.