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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commissioned 280 Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer cadets, urging them to remain focused on their military careers and avoid distractions that could derail their service.
President Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF, made the remarks on Tuesday during the commissioning ceremony for Officer Cadets Intake 09/26 and Bachelor of Defence Studies Intake 05/23/29 at Uganda Military Academy-Kabamba in Mubende District.
The 280 commissioned cadets included 187 professionals who began training in February 2026 and 87 Bachelor of Defence Studies cadets who started their training on September 18, 2023. The latter class initially enrolled 100 cadets, but 14 did not complete the programme. Eleven of those commissioned are female.
Six additional officer cadets received training abroad, including Officer Cadets Ruhamya Kainerugaba and Andrew Bakira, who trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, while four others trained in India.
The ceremony was attended by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and his wife, Mrs. Charlotte Kainerugaba; Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka; Uganda Military Academy-Kabamba Commandant Brig. Gen. Saad Katemba; and other senior military officers.
Outstanding cadets received awards for their performance before the newly commissioned officers took the oaths of allegiance and secrecy.
