Museveni warns UPDF officers against corruption
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to shun corruption, warning that it threatens not only the integrity of the army but also the lives of soldiers on the battlefield.
Addressing a passing-out ceremony for 413 army officers at the Uganda Military Academy in Kabamba, Mubende district, Museveni emphasised the importance of discipline, personal health, and equipment maintenance as core values of a professional soldier.
“Love yourself so that you don’t die of diseases, alcohol or drugs. You should remain healthy, but as we told you, you must also love your equipment because if you don’t look after it well, especially if you are corrupt, when war comes, you will die. When you see a corrupt soldier, he is your enemy and the enemy of the country,” Museveni said.
The officers, who completed a six-month intensive training in armour military warfare, included 74 armour platoon commanders, 122 armour technicians, and 217 armour crews. The President congratulated them on mastering complex tank operations and tactical manoeuvres in a relatively short period.
“You have learned quickly in six months. You mastered this equipment in the four specialised courses mentioned. I congratulate you and pass you out today,” Museveni said.
He noted that while warfare is an ancient practice, its success depends on the integration of modern technology and strategic organisation.
“As I told your commanders, war is an old science and an old art. Science in the form of equipment and art in the way you are organised and utilise the equipment. Science always influences the organisation and the tactics.” Museveni also warned that tanks and mechanised assets now face new threats, especially from aerial technologies such as drones and air strikes, urging the graduates to keep pace with evolving warfare trends.
Museveni said the tank is no longer safe by default, with air force and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) posing real threats. Furthermore, the President reaffirmed his commitment to the ongoing modernisation of the UPDF, praising current army leadership for its work in strengthening welfare, training, and infrastructure.
Museveni said that he’s happy that modernising the UPDF continues and that the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) is still working on welfare, training, and building barracks and other facilities.
Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, revealed that the UPDF is in the process of upgrading all military training centres into centres of excellence. Fourteen institutions, including the Kabamba Academy, have already achieved this status. Okiding cautioned the graduates against complacency and indiscipline.
Brig Gen Peter Chandia, the commandant of the Armoured Warfare Training School, said the graduates are now equipped with practical skills in mechanised warfare and are capable of deploying modern firepower and mobility tactics in real battle scenarios.
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