Entebbe — The Commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC), Maj Gen David Mugisha has hailed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), for his visionary leadership and commitment to professionalising the army, which he said has become a modern, disciplined, and people-focused institution.
Speaking during a special dinner held on Saturday at the SFC Headquarters in Entebbe, Maj Gen Mugisha commended the President’s strategic guidance in transforming the UPDF into a force that not only excels in operations but is grounded in ideological clarity and discipline.
“A professional army is not just one that shoots accurately, but one that understands its mission remains disciplined, and serves the people,” Maj Gen Mugisha quoted President Museveni. “The President’s guidance remains our compass.”
The dinner was organised in honour of the SFC officers who represented the command at the recently concluded inaugural Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Inter-forces Drill Competition held on May 13, 2025, at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. SFC emerged overall winner in the creative drill category and finished as first runner-up in the normal drill, competing against 16 other teams, with the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) taking top place in the latter.
Maj Gen Mugisha also paid tribute to the Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for conceptualising and spearheading the national competition, describing it as a milestone in military excellence.
“This historic event elevated standards in military ceremony and reinforced values of cohesion, precision, and teamwork,” he said. “Drills reflect the essence of military discipline and unity, which are foundational to our identity as UPDF.”
He thanked the team that meticulously prepared SFC’s participation, noting their discipline, motivation, and focus were evident throughout the competition. Special recognition was given to the officers whose creativity and leadership brought the drills to life.
Brig Gen Paul Namawa, SFC Chief of Staff, praised the leadership within the SFC for cultivating a high-performing culture in a relatively young service.
“We are a young force, but we are moving fast. That momentum is a result of your commitment and dedication. The moment we lose it, someone will overtake us. We can’t afford to slow down,” Brig Gen Namawa emphasised.
Col Mango Baraza, Director of Human Resource Management at SFC, celebrated the team’s achievements and shared details of their performance.
“In the creative drill, we won a trophy and Shs 10 million. In the normal drill, we came second and received Shs 5 million,” Col Mango noted. “This would not be possible without the prevailing peace, which we owe to the Commander-in-Chief.”
Col Baraza also lauded the CDF’s vision in creating the competition and thanked the SFC Commander for unwavering logistical and moral support.
Representing SFC on the competition’s implementation committee, Col Paul Lokut, Director of Training and Doctrine, revealed that the idea for the competition was born in November 2024 and was strongly championed by the CDF to enhance professionalism and innovation within the UPDF.
The team leader during the drills, Maj Denis Masambo, thanked the SFC leadership for entrusting them with the honour of representing the command. He revealed the team was composed of officers and enlisted personnel from different units, including female militants.
“The support from unit commanders and the logistics you provided, Commander Sir, motivated us to give our best,” he said. “We are grateful for the trust and backing throughout the preparations.”
