Final preparations for Command Post Exercise of Okoa Maisha 2025 which is Uganda’s national emergency response simulation, have been completed following the conclusion of the Final Planning Conference at the Headquarter Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability in Jinja and the is slated to run from 3th to 14th August 2025.
The exercise aims to reinforce Uganda’s national readiness to respond to large-scale emergencies, relying on a multi-agency framework that integrates security, humanitarian and government actors in a unified effort.
The Chief of Staff at the Headquarter Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso, on behalf of the Exercise Director and Commandant encouraged participants to remain focused and attentive, particularly with limited time remaining before the exercise commences.
While speaking at the Commandant of the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, Brig Gen Michael Ssozi Ssesanga, praised participants for their detailed input and constructive engagement throughout the planning process, noting that their contributions are key to the exercise’s anticipated success and the Senior Superintendent of Police Bosco Arop called for faster decision-making to strengthen Uganda’s disaster response capacity.
The Command Post Exercise will bring together personnel from government Ministries, Security services and humanitarian agencies, all of whom will play vital roles in simulating and evaluating coordinated emergency response protocols.
In attendance were senior officers from the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda Police, Uganda Prisons Service, Immigration Department, and representatives of the Uganda Red Cross among others.
