Ugandan officers win regional awards Print E-mail
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Written by Moses Mugalu   
Sunday, 29 November 2009 21:41

Four UPDF officers have won regional military honours after a ten-month training course at the Kimaka Senior Command & Staff College in Jinja. Majors Stephen Nahabwe, David Kakono, Richard Wakayinja and Simon Mugasi won four out of the six best performers’ awards in the course attended by 39 officers from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Southern Sudan.

The excelling officers were presented with their awards last Thursday at the graduation ceremony in Kimaka. Nahabwe’s research paper on terrorism: Examination of National and International Terrorism; Causes and Threats to Global Security, beat off stiff competition from Kakono’s paper titled: Need for an integrated lake security strategy in Uganda. Maj. Kakono, 35, settled for the runners-up slot. The papers submitted by the 39 officers covered topics on military, national and international policy issues.

“I picked terrorism because it’s currently the biggest threat worldwide,” said Maj. Nahabwe, 46. In his paper, Nahabwe argued that eliminating poverty is essential in the global fight against terrorism.

Army Spokesman, Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye, said that some of the components of Nahabwe’s paper may be considered by military policy makers. Maj. Wakayinja was awarded for being the best all-round Ugandan student, while Mugasi scooped the Central Lecture Hall award for his distinguished contributions during lectures and discussions.

Kenya’s Maj. Fred Leuria was the Best Allied Student while SPLA’s Bashir Kalo was the Most Improved Student. This was the fifth batch of senior officers passing out of Kimaka since 2004 when the college started to conduct joint regional training.

Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, Chief of Defence Forces, said the college’s training reflects the level of cohesion so far forged by the armed forces in line with achieving the fast-tracking of the East African Community.

Nyakairima added that the training at Kimaka is intended to sharpen regional troops for both combat and non-combat situations. Lt. Gen. Jeje Odongo, the Minister of State for Defence who was the chief guest, warned the officers against indiscipline.
“Please don’t live reckless lives. God might call you quickly to join him before you make use of the knowledge you have acquired here,” Odongo said.

Officers who graduated

Col. Bashir Kalo (SPLA),
Col. Manuel Garanga (SPLA)
Lt. M. Juuk (SPLA)
Maj. Donat Ndamagye (RPA)
Maj. Fabian Musafili (RPA)
Maj. Fred Leuria (Kenya)
Sayid Farah (Kenyan)
Maj. JJ Mkunda (TDF)
Maj. JL Kachinde (TDF)

Maj. Festo Machua (TDF)
Maj. William Sandy (TDF)
Lt. Col. Bekunda Besigye (UPDF)
Lt.col. Herbert Murombe (UPDF)
Lt. Col. Emanuel Shilling, (UPDF)
Lt. Col. G. Mujuni, M (UPDF)
Lt. Col. Kagambirwe (UPDF)
Maj. Charles Byanyima (UPDF)
Maj. David Isimbwa (UPDF)
Maj. B Bintabara (UPDF)
Maj, David Lumumba (UPDF)
Maj. Darlington Mugisha (UPDF)
Maj. David Tweheyo (UPDF)
Maj. Julius Biryabarema (UPDF)

Maj. John Mugarura (UPDF)
Maj. Francis Irumba (UPDF)
Maj. David Kakono (UPDF)
Maj. David Kamukama (UPDF)
Maj. Fred Akiiki Rugadya (UPDF)
Maj. Peter Buyungo (UPDF)
Maj. Richard Wakayinja (UPDF)
Maj. Stephen Nahabwe (UPDF)
Maj. John Patrick Otongo (UPDF)
Maj. James Birungi (UPDF)
Maj. Julius Gareeba (UPDF)
Maj. Simon Agong (UPDF)
Maj. Smith Ayoo (UPDF)
Maj. S Mugasi (UPDF)
Maj. KM Katwekyeire (UPDF)
Maj. SB Mugyenyi (UPDF)

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Comments (6)add comment
IS this surely UPDF
written by Ssentamu Micheal , November 30, 2009

Does the word UPDF stand for Uganda Defence forces ? Surely just read the names of the "UPDF" officer who graduated and see if not all save for about 3are home boys.

This thing is going too far. I hope Iwon't be summoned to answer a secterianism charge for complaining about secterianism in our Army. Shame upon you.


mr
written by Fred , November 30, 2009

When you look at our army (Ugandan)you can realy see how equally this government has distributed employment by region


Interesting
written by Eric L. , November 30, 2009

Members,please categorise UPDF names by region and you tell me the regional "balance" sofar achieved.


stop whining
written by Makara , November 30, 2009

Simply stop whining and join up. If you look at the US swimming and winter olymics teams, you see only white athletes.

When you look at their sprint relay teams (both men and women) of the past five or six olympic games, you'll notice that they have all been black. Does it make the US athletic selections sectarian? No. It comes down to culture.

There are communities that are inspired by their kin to join the armed forces just like it was in Uganda's past. If your uncle is a soldier someone else in the family will be inspired to join the military. Blacks in the US can skate and swim too but they are not inspired to do it competitively because they have no successful role-models doing it. But they have all of these black to inspire them in basketball and track sports.

So please, let's stop whining and join up. If we are rejected because of our ethnicity, that will be when we can authoritatively say that the army is sectarian.


...
written by Fred , November 30, 2009

If you think that the balance is only in the army try all government entities from office messangers to the executive directors you will tell me


...
written by Fred , November 30, 2009

Makara when you belong to that ethnicity you will call it Ethical as Boers in south Africa thought.
But how do you define "secterianism"



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