The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, has urged newly pipped officers to work harder than they have in the past, following their new promotions by President Museveni, also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

He made the remarks on Friday, February 23, 2024, during the pipping ceremony of the newly promoted Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) senior officers.

The ceremony held at Mbuya Army Headquarters had the Director General of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Brig. Gen. Charles Oluka, as the most decorated.

Gen. Mbadi congratulated the decorated officers and reminded them how such promotions come with bigger responsibilities. Additionally, he called for the cooperation of the promoted officers, asking them to work as a team and not build their own small kingdoms.

“I therefore congratulate you on behalf of the UPDF and myself. Even if you were lucky, luck is for the deserving. It is not only a win for you, but also for the institution. You have to work as a group and not as individuals because leadership is a ladder that requires you to exercise team spirit,” Gen. Mbadi urged.

“The greatest leader is not the one who necessarily does great things, it’s the one who brings the people to do great things. I am emphasizing that you must work together,” Gen. Mbadi added.

He further thanked President Museveni for the promotions in ranks and highlighted the importance of training, saying it promotes professionalism.

“One of the big components of professionalization is training. It means that we improve and also revise procedures and policies in place for all undertakings and embrace deliberate and uniform procedures throughout. You don’t come with these from your mother’s womb; you have to go to colleges and training institutions to learn them,” Mbadi emphasized.

 The ISO head, Brig. Gen. Oluka, who represented the decorated officers, called for more joint military courses and recognized the increased number of ISO personnel in training, which he said has led to the large number of promotions.

“ISO is a mixture of military-trained personnel; some have army numbers, others do not. Since 2015, the trend has been UPDF and ISO conducting joint training, which has created more bonding, and this is good for strategic security,” Brig Gen. Oluka noted.

He further called upon his fellow decorated officers to prove that they deserved the promotions.

“Colleagues, we have the responsibility to prove that we deserve these promotions, so the ball is in our hands,” he added.

The Defence spokesperson, Brig Gen. Felix Kulayigye, said that promotion is a way of distributing a blessing for those being led and for those receiving

He also urged those who have not been promoted to remain humble and work diligently, saying that it will take them to higher places.

“Humble yourself before the Lord, and you will be exalted. In this stature, you have more responsibilities on your shoulders in service of the country and God,” Brig Gen. Kulayigye advised.

This pipping ceremony follows the promotion of 395 UPDF officers by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in January 2024.

Top military officials who were present at the function included Gen. Peter Elwelu, the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces; Maj. Gen. Charles Okudi, the Commander Air Force; Chief of Personnel and Administration; Gen. James Kinalwa; and Harriet Kyomugisha, the Commissioner Assistant Human Resource at the Ministry of Defence, among others.