Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Special Presidential Advisor in charge of Special Operations, has urged graduands of the Joint Junior Political Education and Leadership Course (JJPELC) Intake 15/25 to prioritize ideological clarity.
Speaking through Maj Gen Henry Masiko, the UPDF Joint Staff Political Commissariat, Gen Kainerugaba emphasized the importance of continuous ideological growth, saying, “Continuously changing ideologically for the better, avoidance of relaxation, going to greater heights to get to the center of excellence is our ideological vision and the oxygen of the force.”
The graduation ceremony, held at the Oliver Reginald Tambo School of Leadership and Pan African Centre of Excellence (ORTSL-PACEX) in Kaweweta, Nakaseke district, saw 231 student officers graduate, including 19 from the Central African Republic (CAR).
The Ugandan cohort consisted of student Officers drawn from the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force (UPF), Uganda Prisons Service (UPS), Internal Security Organization (ISO) and External Security Organization (ESO).
Maj Gen Masiko said: “The days’ graduation was a historical day and a demonstration of where UPDF wants to be since the force looks at Africans as one people.”, adding that UPDFs’ existence in DR Congo, CAR, Somalia and South Sudan is testament to the unwavering support of our fraternal brotherly countries in the fight for liberty.
Maj Gen Masiko cautioned the new graduands against complacency, urging them to “avoid sleeping on the job” and recognize the significance of ideological training in ensuring continuity of the force.
He also commended the training partners and graduands from CAR for their commitment to ideological training, highlighting its role in creating synergies among security agencies to execute tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
He implored graduands to become “agents of revolutionary continuity” and warned against corruption and indiscipline.
Col Mulindwa, representing the Joint Staff Training and Doctrine Brig Gen Alex Olupot, emphasized the importance of continuous training, stating, “Training is a continuous circle and is an investment other than an expense.”
He underscored the need for disciplined and healthy graduands to defend their nation’s unity.
He also noted that graduands are agents of change both in the army and in the communities, further noting that ideological training is good for cadres who prioritize growth and development to fight social decay and moral degeneration.
The Commandant of ORTSL-PACEX, Brig Gen Justus Rukundo, noted that the course aims to produce a critical mass of politically conscious and ideologically clear students, who later become agents of change in their respective units.
He commended partner security organizations for embracing joint ideological training and urged graduands to love, respect, and continuously improve themselves.”Always remember to ‘walk the talk ‘ to influence your surbodinates,” he highlighted.
He further encouraged them to disseminate the acquired knowledge and be ambassadors for African integration for social economic transformation, adding that the memories shared shall be a building block between Uganda and CAR.
The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries, including the Commandant of Kaweweta Cantonment Brig Gen Sam Omara and ASP Bamunoba, Police Chief Political Commissar.
The best overall student was Capt Moses Kusasira, with Lt Wangouma Benjamin recognized as the best allied student. ASP Naludi Ivan and Mwesigwa Gilbert emerged as the best in field, best female was Ndangbani Evodie Priscillie, among others.
