The Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Sam Okiding, has called upon the newly promoted officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to work together in the fight against corruption.
While speaking during a pipping ceremony on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA) Headquarters in Mbuya, Okiding stressed that fighting corruption requires collective responsibility.
“The fight against corruption involves serious individuals like you. If we don’t fight it, we shall destroy ourselves, and the destruction will start here within the UPDF before it affects the country and the region,” he said.
Lt Gen Okiding praised the officers’ promotions as divine and exhorted them to devote themselves fully to their new roles, quoting Isaiah 60:22.
“Apart from enjoying and celebrating, also expect more responsibilities to be handled by you. I am confident and happy that you will manage it very well,” he added.
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At the ceremony, two Colonels who were promoted to Brigadier General and 17 Lieutenant Colonels who were promoted to Colonel were decorated with their respective ranks.
On behalf of the promoted officers, Brig Gen Paul Wanyera Namawa, the Chief of Staff-Special Force Command (SFC), thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for his leadership, reflecting on the UPDF’s transformation into a professional force.
“This day reminds us of the legacy we inherit from the brave men and women who made immense sacrifices for this country. As we take on the responsibilities of our new ranks, we are acutely aware that leadership is not about authority but service to our country, families, and citizens,” he said.
He urged his fellow officers to embrace their new roles with “a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to serve the nation with pride,” encouraging them to lead with humility, integrity, and excellence and upholding the highest standards in all their actions.
Present at the ceremony were senior UPDF officials, including Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba, the Chief of Joint Staff; Maj Gen Francis Okello, the Commandant of the National Defence College-Uganda; and Maj Gen Henry Masiko, the Joint Staff Political Commissariat; Brig Gen David Gonyi, the Chief of Staff UPDF Air Force; Brig Gen James Kinalwa, the Joint Staff Human Resource Management; Moses Wandera, the Joint Staff Legal Services; Generals; spouses and family members of the promoted officers; other senior and junior officers.
