President Yoweri Museveni, also the Commander in Chief of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on Wednesday appointed Maj Gen Paul Lokech as the new Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP).
He replaces Maj Gen Muzeyi Sabiiti who has been sent to the General Headquarters for redeployment.
Before being appointed Deputy Police Chief, Gen Lokech was on a Special Assignment in South Sudan.
Prior, Lokech, served as the UPDF Air Force Chief of Staff. He served in the position for only 5 months before being replaced with Brig. Charles Okidi in January, 2020.
Gen. Lokech has served as part of Uganda’s peace-keeping forces in South Sudan and was also part of the Operation Safe Hand in which the UPDF launched an offensive against Allied Democratic rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He also served as the UPDF second division commander, based in Makenke barracks.
Lokech for two terms served as the UPDF AMISOM commander in Somalia between 2011 to 2012 and 2017 to 2018.
During that period, Brig.Lokech is credited for a number of battles that broke Al Shabaab insurgents’ backs before earning him the nickname, the “Lion of Mogadishu” from Somalis.
Brig. Lokech has served as Uganda’s Defence Attaché to Russia and also as Commander of the UPDF Second Division, a post he held until recently, when he was appointed Contingent Commander for the second time in Somalia.
On return from his second tour of duty in Somalia in 2018, Lokech, then at the rank of brigadier was posted to Jinja as the commander for the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre.
He was in February 2019 promoted to the rank of Major General.
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