President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also the Commander in Chief of the armed forces in Uganda, has passed out a total of 774 officer cadets at Basic Military Training School-Kaweweta (BMTS) in Nakaseke district.
The officers have been attending a one-year training course at BMTS-Kaweweta under intake 18, from July 17, 2023, to June 4, 2024.
A total of 28 officer cadets were from Tanzania and Mali, while the rest were Ugandans.
President Museveni congratulated the commissioned officers upon completing what he called a tough course and asked them to serve and defend the country.
“Don’t bring careerism into our army, but defend the country and fight corruption,” said President Museveni.
Brig Gen Bonny Geoffrey Wolimbwa, the Commandant of BMTS-Kaweweta, said the course involved components that included new skills in military and ideological training.
He said the course aimed at preparing and producing disciplined officers who respect human rights, have professionalism, are patriotic, and are ready to serve their country.
Brig Gen Wolimbwa urged them to stick to the ideology of patriotism and spirit of Pan-Africanism, eliminate corruption, and support the idea of infrastructure development to ensure socio-economic transformation.
He said that at the beginning of the course, there were 806 trainees, but only 774, including 101 females, managed to graduate.
The best officer-cadet Ronald Alegesa from Uganda was awarded as the best overall student, Torichek Karomoko from Mali as the best in academics, Keith Jessy Ruhanga from Uganda as the best in the field, David Mwesigye as the most disciplined, and Tamasha Ndoribana from Tanzania as the best female officer cadet.
The ceremony was attended by Sarah Mateke, the State Minister of Defense and Veterinary Affairs, the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the CDF of Mali, the Director General of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Brig. Gen. Charles Oluka, Gen. Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport, Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, the Director of Defense Public Information, and foreign delegations from Mali and Tanzania, among other officials.
