President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), has commissioned 352 officer cadets who completed their training at the Uganda Military Academy in Kabamba, Mubende District.
The new officers include 105 cadets from the Bachelor of Defence Studies Course (Intake 04/22/25), 218 professional cadets, 11 who trained abroad, and 18 pilot cadets. Twenty-two of the graduates are from allied defence forces, among them the Kenya Defence Forces, Rwanda Defence Force, Tanzania People’s Defence Forces, South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, and the Central African Armed Forces.
In his address, President Museveni congratulated the officers and thanked the UPDF leadership for their commitment to continuous training. He urged the graduates to uphold four guiding principles: health, discipline, ideology, and knowledge.
“You must look after your health because it is crucial. You cannot be a soldier if you are not disciplined. And you cannot be an army of Uganda if you have a colonial mentality. You must understand our principles: patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-transformation, and democracy,” the President said.
He cautioned against corruption, describing it as incompatible with patriotism, and called on officers to embrace modern military thinking. Drawing from global lessons, Museveni underscored the need to understand warfare across land, air, sea, and space, while stressing African unity in addressing future security challenges.
Defence Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth thanked the President for his strategic leadership, urging Ugandans to protect the gains of peace and stability. “Every household in Uganda has benefited from these achievements. They must be safeguarded,” he said.
Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba hailed Museveni for transforming the UPDF into a disciplined, capable, and regional force for stability. He described soldiering as “the highest vocation in human experience” and reminded the cadets that their commissioning marks only the beginning of their journey.
“We’ll continue to sharpen you until you are the best warriors and commanders. In the UPDF, we do what we are told to do—and we do it well. We have never failed in any of our missions,” Gen. Muhoozi told the graduates. He also reaffirmed the army’s zero tolerance for corruption and misuse of resources.
The Commandant of the Uganda Military Academy, Brig Gen Saad Katemba, commended the cadets for their endurance and resilience, urging them to uphold the values of the institution. He also extended gratitude to families and academic partners, including Makerere University, for their support in the training process.
The ceremony was attended by senior government officials, top UPDF commanders, defence attachés from partner countries, and relatives of the graduating officers.
