NEWS- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces has today passed out 10,007 recruits from Intake 17 of the 2024/25 training year at the Kaweweta Basic Recruit Training School, becoming the highest number ever passed out in the UPDF history.
While speaking at the ceremony that was also attended by the Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the President congratulated the School adminstrators, instructors and recruits upon successful completion of the course and reminded that the Army is an institution of discipline and hardwork.
President Museveni described the event as historic and underscored the government of Uganda commitment to strengthen national defence capabilities.
During the ceremony, the soldiers were taken through drills and certificates were awarded to those who completed the program.
Kaweweta Basic Military School is a key institution in Uganda’s military infrastructure there trainees are equipped with skills critical to regional security and peacekeeping operations.
President Museveni commended the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and military commanders for fostering a renewed commitment to fighting corruption, an effort that, he noted, is already yielding visible results within the UPDF.
The President, who was speaking at the hybrid pass-out ceremony of military recruits at the Basic Military Training School (BMTS) Kaweweta in Nakaseke, thanked the Chief of Defence Forces for prioritizing professionalism and lethality in the armed forces.
“An army must be sharp and lethal, not blunt, and this is what the CDF has been talking about ,” the president emphasized.
While reflecting on the essence of warfare, President Museveni added that combat has always revolved around offense and defense, dating back to ancient times: “the spear, the arrow, and the shield.” A skilled force, he stressed, must master both striking the enemy and protecting itself.
The Commander-in-Chief underscored the critical need for the military to advance in technology and organizational efficiency, warning that failure to keep pace would leave the nation vulnerable.
While citing history, the President said our ancestors could not defend against colonialism and slave trade because they lagged behind in technology.
The President also highlighted the importance of innovation and transformation, citing the hybrid graduation ceremony as an example saying that instead of attending six separate events, they have held one central function while others joined virtually, hailing the efficiency through the use of technology.
Both President Museveni and the CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba urged soldiers to prioritize their physical and medical well-being, emphasizing that neglecting one’s health equates to betrayal, of oneself, one’s family, and one’s country.
Speaking at the event, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba assured President Museveni that the UPDF won’t hesitate to punish commanders who misuse military resources for selfish gain.
“It is abhorrent and sacrilegious, really, for any commander or officer to misuse or divert resources for selfish gain,” said the CDF. “I must add, Your Excellency, that we shall not hesitate to take decisive action against those who do not heed this call.”
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who has recently overseen the arrest of corrupt commanders in the UPDF, assured the president that the army will achieve all its set milestones because value for money is fundamental in operations.
“We are confident that we will achieve the set milestones one at a time. We are trying to do this, among others, by ensuring value for money for every shilling,” he said. “We will no longer tolerate wastage and abuse of our limited and scarce resources that would otherwise improve the operating conditions of our brave soldiers,” Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba said.
The Chief Defence Forces who is also the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, told the recruits that they’ve joined the UPDF at the right time, citing recent major strides in the welfare of officers, such as improvements in remuneration, accommodation, working space, clothing, feeding, transport and logistics management, education for the children of soldiers and health services.
“We want our fighting men and women, together with their families, to be proud of the conditions in which they live and work,” He said.
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba argued that becoming a warrior is the highest vocation or calling one can have and nothing is compared to that.
The Chief of Defence Forces was quick to remind the graduates that the end of their basic military training is only the beginning and promised that alot more training is yet to come which will continue to sharpen them until they are the best warriors able to deal with whatever is put before them in their line of duty.
