President Museveni Launches New Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Establishment: A Milestone in Defence Transformation
President Museveni launched the new Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) establishment, delegating command and administration powers to General Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the Chief of Defence Forces. This development, enacted at a Defence Council meeting, marks a significant milestone in defence transformation.
President Museveni handing over the new UPDF establishment to Gen Mbadi at State House Entebbe on 17th February 2024
President Museveni launched the new Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) establishment which provides for the powers of command and administration of UPDF.
The document, according to informed defence officials, involves deployment, salary, training, and capacity building of the forces
“By virtue of the powers enshrined under Article 98(1) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, and Section 8(1) and (2)(a) of the UPDF Act, 2005, yesterday, on the 17th of February 2024, at the Defence Council meeting, I presented the UPDF Establishment 2021, an instrument of delegated Command, Control, and Administration, to General Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the Chief of Defence Forces of the UPDF, to command all elements of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces,” said Museveni in a statement on Sunday evening.
The development has caused excitement among the public, with some speculating that Museveni is delegating his powers to the Chief of Defence Forces.
Some wondered whether Mbadi was not already in full control of the army before the roll out of the new establishment.
During the Defence Council meeting, Mbadi lauded the “exhaustive seven-year process culminating in the formulation of the UPDF Establishment 2021.”
The CDF said the document emphasises the jointness at the strategic level and operational leanness, aligning with principles of decentralisation.
“The UPDF Establishment 2021 document enables changes of merging of some UPDF departments, the creation of new ones, and discarding others to improve command, control and administration of the Forces,” Gen. Mbadi said.
Hon. Vincent Ssempijja, the Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, underscored the UPDF Establishment 2021 as a blueprint for organisational effectiveness and operational prowess.
Embracing recommendations from previous defence transformation initiatives, the Minister noted that the establishment outlines a vision for a modern, agile, and resilient defence force.
President Museveni in a group with the family members of the late Pecos Kutesa at the event
“The launch of the UPDF Establishment 2021 signals Uganda’s commitment to ensuring national security and safeguarding its sovereignty in an ever-evolving global landscape. With a focus on efficiency, adaptability, and synergy, the UPDF continues to evolve as a formidable guardian of Uganda’s interests and aspirations,” he said.
The development comes at a time when President Museveni is expected to make drastic changes in the army’s top command and Cabinet.
Museveni has been camping at his country farm in Kisozi for a week where he is said to be making consultations for the upcoming changes in the top government and military structures.
According to a statement from the State House, the meeting, the Defence Council was preceded by a High Command session which took place on Friday, February 16th, 2024.
State House said the unveiling of the UPDF Establishment 2021 “marks a milestone in the modernization and optimization of Uganda’s defence architecture.”
In his address, President Museveni compared the role of the UPDF Establishment 2021 to that of medical professionals, highlighting the importance of preserving and safeguarding the nation’s well-being.
He emphasised that just as a doctor’s duty is to maintain the health of their patients and provide treatment, when necessary, the UPDF’s primary objective is to ensure peace and security in Uganda.
President Museveni in a group photo with Defence Minister Vincent Ssempijja and Gen Mbadi at the ceremony
This UPDF Establishment is like public health and medical treatment. In the case of sickness, public health is done by observing elements of nutrition, vaccination, clean water, and all these are done for someone to avoid sickness. But in case he or she gets sick, there are also curative measures,” he said.
President Museveni outlined that the doctrine of defence and the establishment’s structures emphasise effective planning and execution necessary to uphold peace and security across the country.
“The doctrine of Defense and the establishment are the structures of how you are going to preserve peace and security in Uganda. And if there is a need for treatment, then what and who is to do what,” he said.
The President noted that the launched UPDF Establishment is a visionary approach to safeguarding peace and security in Uganda.
“We need to understand that the diagnosis and the prescription for a cure are very much influenced by science. If we were to go back to 1800 AD, the establishment which we are talking about here is like the armies of that time, mainly the European armies,” he said.
During the Council meeting, the president presented a plaque and certificate to the family of the Late Lt. Gen. (Rtd). Pecos Kutesa for the distinguished service rendered as the 1st Chairman of the UPDF establishment committee.
“Late Lt. Gen. (Rtd). Pecos Kutesa was one of the officers that we recruited under the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA). He came and joined us in the bush, and I noticed his bravery when we attacked Kakiri on the 6th of April in 1981,” he said.
The president added, “I saw him crawling in a very professional way to capture the machine gun. He was moving professionally. That is why, when I was going out for the first time in June 1981, I put him as one of my escorts close to the lake to go to Kenya.”
President Museveni in a photo with regional defence commanders at the function
President Museveni also informed the council meeting that the Late Kutesa participated in many of the liberation battles, citing the time they captured 736 rifles in Masindi and the participation in the Kabamba battles, among others.
Gen. Pecos Kutesa joined the armed struggle under the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) to fight the regime of the late President Idi Amin Dada until the regime was overthrown in 1979.
He retired from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces on August 5, 2021, after a distinguished military career extending over forty-six (46) years and passed away on August 17, 2021.
