President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commissioned 280 Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer cadets, urging them to remain disciplined, focused and committed to their military careers while avoiding distractions that could undermine their service.
Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF, made the remarks during the commissioning ceremony for Officer Cadets Intake 09/26 and Bachelor of Defence Studies Intake 05/23/29 at the Uganda Military Academy-Kabamba in Mubende District.
The commissioned officers included 187 professional cadets who began training in February 2026 and 87 Bachelor of Defence Studies cadets who started their training on September 18, 2023. The latter intake initially enrolled 100 cadets, but 14 did not complete the programme. Eleven of the commissioned officers were female.
Six additional officer cadets had trained abroad. They included Ruhamya Kainerugaba and Andrew Bakira, who trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, while four others received training in India.
The ceremony was attended by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and his wife, Charlotte Kainerugaba; Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka; Uganda Military Academy-Kabamba Commandant Brig. Gen. Saad Katemba; and other senior military officers. Lt. Col. John Mugarura commanded the parade.
Outstanding cadets received awards for their performance before the newly commissioned officers took their oaths of allegiance and secrecy.
Congratulating the graduates, Museveni described their commissioning as the beginning of a long journey of service in an institution whose effectiveness depends on discipline, commitment and sound leadership.
“First of all, congratulations to the graduates. You have started a long journey in a very honourable organisation, the UPDF. If you do your part and don't get diverted, you will make a good contribution,” he said.
He thanked the cadets’ families, the academy and the UPDF leadership for supporting their training.
Museveni emphasised that a strong economy was one of the fundamental pillars of an effective national defence system, arguing that the military must work alongside other institutions to protect the country’s productive sectors.
“Recently, I was talking to the CDFs from a number of countries, and I told them that to have a strong and effective defence of the country, you need a number of factors. One of them is a strong economy which will be able to support a strong army,” he said.
He urged military leaders to identify factors that undermine economic growth and work with relevant institutions to protect wealth creation in commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services and information and communication technology (ICT).
The President also called for firm action against crime in communities, particularly the theft of livestock distributed to farmers under the Parish Development Model (PDM).
“When you get thieves stealing the goats and cows from the farmers which have been given by the PDM, that's sabotage. It shouldn't be tolerated,” he warned.
He said such crimes undermine government efforts to improve household incomes and transform communities, urging security agencies to ensure that farmers benefit from government programmes without fear of losing their assets.
Museveni also stressed that the relationship between the army and the population remained critical to national security, calling on officers to maintain discipline and respect the communities they serve.
“The strategic relationship between the army and the people [is important]. The army must always make sure that it is like fish in the sea,” he said, recalling how public support had helped the liberation struggle despite shortages of weapons.
He identified continuous training and the development of soldiers’ capabilities as other essential pillars of national defence, while calling for greater investment in science and technology to address longstanding technological gaps in Africa.
“We were still using arrows and spears when the Europeans were using gunpowder. It was that which caused problems in the last 500 years. Therefore, we must make sure that we enhance science and technology,” he said.
On regional security, Museveni urged African countries to strengthen strategic coordination and develop joint capabilities across land, air, maritime and space domains.
“We need to coordinate with our brother African countries to work together so that we create capacity on land, air, at sea and even space because that's where the war is now,” he said.
He commended the CDF and other commanders for efforts to combat corruption and improve soldiers’ welfare, including through better accommodation and pay.
Museveni said the government would also prioritise the modernisation of military training institutions to ensure that their facilities met high international standards.
“I have told the CDF and his commanders that we need to prioritise these training infrastructures. They can be made state-of-the-art. It is good to have the best in the world when you are training from here,” he said.
He further urged the newly commissioned officers to safeguard their health, drawing on his own experience of maintaining an active life at the age of 82.
Reflecting on his decades of political activism and armed struggle, Museveni said good health had been essential to his ability to serve the country.
“When I look back and see the things I have gone through in the last 65 years, from the students' movement to the armed resistance against Idi Amin and UPC, you can see that if my health had been compromised earlier, I wouldn't have achieved all that,” he said.
In his remarks, Gen. Kainerugaba said the security situation in Uganda and the wider region was relatively calm, with UPDF peace and stabilisation missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Somalia continuing to make progress.
However, he expressed concern over an increase in violent crime in some parts of the country, where criminals were reportedly using machetes and, in some cases, firearms to rob, kill and sexually assault victims.
“However, on the domestic front, we have recently noted an increase in violent crime in some parts of the country, and this has caused a bit of unease in those affected areas,” he said.
The CDF warned that security agencies would not tolerate such criminal activities and were coordinating operations to identify, arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“No effort will be spared until the sanctity of the right to life and property is fully restored for all the people in our country,” he said.
Gen. Kainerugaba thanked Ugandans for their continued support for Museveni and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, crediting the President’s leadership with contributing to Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation and regional peace and stability.
He said soldiers’ welfare had continued to improve during his nearly three years as CDF, citing progress in pay, accommodation, administration, logistics, healthcare and education.
He added that the UPDF remained committed to strengthening training, acquiring equipment and improving troop welfare, supported by ideological and political education.
Kainerugaba also commended instructors across military training institutions for their dedication and congratulated the new officers on their decision to serve the country.
“I urge you to immediately join your assigned units and gain experience. You are now the future of the UPDF,” he said.
Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka said Museveni’s presence at the commissioning ceremony demonstrated his commitment to national defence, military excellence and the continued professionalisation of the UPDF.
He said the President’s strategic guidance and investment had helped build a disciplined and capable force tasked with protecting Uganda’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Kiwanuka described the UPDF’s development under the NRM government as one of the key achievements of Museveni’s leadership. He also commended Gen. Kainerugaba for efforts to improve soldiers’ welfare and combat corruption.
The minister recognised the Joint Staff Training and Doctrine leadership for overseeing and standardising training across military institutions. He also praised the academy’s commandant and staff for equipping cadets with the knowledge, skills and values required for effective military leadership.
Kiwanuka highlighted cooperation with regional partners, including Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania, through joint training and professional exchanges.
“Cooperation through joint training, professional exchanges, and sharing of mutual experience strengthens our defence institutions, enhances interoperability, and builds mutual trust,” he said.
Addressing the newly commissioned officers, Kiwanuka urged them to uphold integrity, discipline and constitutional loyalty, reminding them that leadership was measured by service and responsibility rather than rank.
“Wear your uniform with honour. Lead with integrity and discipline. Remain loyal to the Commander-in-Chief and the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda,” he said.
He further urged the officers to place their mission, the welfare of their soldiers and the interests of Ugandans above personal ambition.
Uganda Military Academy-Kabamba Commandant Brig. Gen. Saad Katemba said the training programme combines academic instruction with military preparation, emphasising sustainability, ideological grounding and leadership competencies.
He thanked lecturers and instructors for sharing their knowledge and experience with the cadets, noting that the academy was developing its infrastructure in line with the President’s strategic guidance.
Katemba also thanked the CDF for supporting improvements in troop welfare and expressed optimism that the academy would continue receiving the resources needed to strengthen training.
He commended the graduates for their endurance and resilience but cautioned them against individuals or groups that might seek to undermine their professional development and commitment to national service.
“Be aware of manipulative interest groups who are envious of your hard-earned competences and may try at any cost to divert you from the strong foundation and the legacy of the institution and national ideology,” he said.
The commandant acknowledged the contribution of spouses, parents, relatives and friends who provided material, spiritual and psychological support to the cadets throughout their training.
He also thanked residents of Kasambya in Mubende District for their cooperation and patience despite the noise associated with military training activities.
The ceremony concluded with the recognition of cadets who excelled in different areas of training. Officer Cadet Enos Kugumaho from the Special Forces Command (SFC) was named the overall best performer, while Officer Cadet Gloria Kwakunda, also from the SFC, emerged as the best in class.
Officer Cadet Derrick Hongoro from the Land Forces was recognised as the best in field, while Officer Cadet Shemack Abreziz from Kenya received the award for best in tactics.