By Kampala Post Reporter
The UPDF Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen David Muhoozi has emphasized need for Officers and Militants to understand the history of their country as a requisite for being good service personnel.
While officiating at the closure of a one month ideological orientation course for over 2000 soldiers of Uganda’s 30th Battle Group in their last stages of pre-AMISOM deployment training, Gen Muhoozi said the officers can only defend what they understand well.
The training has been ongoing at the UPDF’s Peace Support Operation Training Center (PSO-TC) in Nakaseke district. The CDF noted that one of the key roles of the army is to ensure territorial integrity and maintenance of the peace, which he said can only be achieved by a Force that is conscious and nourished through political education and not the sorts of Uganda’s past armies.
The CDF pointed out that Uganda’s past armies worked against the common good of the people of Uganda and rather served the interests of certain groups, such as the colonial masters, monarchs and the interest of their commanders as well as their own, at the expense of the people they were supposed to protect.
Gen David Muhoozi emphasized that the UPDF is different from the past armies. He said the UPDF works in the interest of Ugandans as stipulated in its core functions in Article 209 of the 1995 Constitution. “The UPDF strives to defend Uganda’s territorial integrity, help its people in case of emergencies, cooperates with civilian authorities, and participates in the economic development of the country. UPDF is a disciplined Force built on a pro-people ideology,” he said.
The UPDF boss said that this pro-people ideology is responsible for UPDF’s successes within and outside the country. He urged the troops to maintain the UPDF historical discipline when they deploy to Somalia.
“Exhibit discipline while in Somalia for the wellbeing of our neighbours, well aware that our biggest foundation is based on political education. Work as a team, respect the culture of the Somali people and lift the flag of our country high,’’ he said.
The Deputy Chief Political Commissar of the UPDF, Col Ba-Hoku Barigye thanked the leadership of PSO-TC led by Col Bonny Wolimbwa, the training team and facilitators for a good work done in the training of the Officers and Militants.
