By Waswa Tenywa
The President also Commander-In-Chief of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, on Saturday passed out 3958 soldiers who completed intake 15/17-18 basic military training at Kaweweta Recruits Training School, Nakaseke District.
While passing out the new soldiers, 136 of who were female, the President was impressed by the numbers and quality of the combatants most of who were University graduates that he referred to as a trainable force. He added that the qualities that the soldiers portrayed in the pass out demonstrations are a reflection of the bigger picture of the progress made in all sectors of security in the country.
Museveni reechoed Kenyans Vice President’s recent comment that Uganda now exports more products to Kenya than Kenya exports to Uganda. The President emphasized that such progress and the wider developments Uganda is experiencing are as a result of peace and stability ushered in by a strong security system in the country.
President Museveni observed that the country has made great strides but it is still faced by three problems; political indiscipline, corruption, and crimes in the urban areas, although he noted that the government has already embarked on installing security cameras in Kampala as a measure to curb crime in the city and will handle all the other prevailing challenges.
He challenged the new soldiers to guard against reckless living in order to remain healthy to serve the country and follow in the path of their predecessors that liberated Uganda. He noted that the new soldiers had started their military journey on a historical ground from where the National Resistance Army launched important attacks such as that on Masindi.
“You are on the footsteps of patriots and heroes,” President Museveni told the soldiers.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen David Muhoozi, thanked the parents who gave in their children to serve in the UPDF and continue the struggle to ensure peace and security in the country.
He welcomed the soldiers into the UPDF fraternity and reminded them that UPDF has always survived on ideological clarity, nationalism, patriotism, and strategic relationship with the people, hence making it a unique army on the continent.
He implored the new soldiers to use what they have learnt to fit into the UPDF vision and mission in order to continue building a professional force.
In the same vein, the Commandant of the training school, Brig Charles Byaruhanga, advised the grandaunts to be ambassador of the UPDF throughout their service and to always remember that the UPDF values and mission, and loyalty to the country and their comrades, comes before their personal interests.
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