Published on 29/03/2025
Officers of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces – Air Force (UPDF-AF) have been urged to uphold their ideological commitment and adopt financial prudence as key pillars of their service.
This call was made during the closure of a week-long ideological symposium held at the Air Command and Leadership Training Centre in Nakasongola, where officers from the Ground-Based Air Defence, the 2 Air Force Wing, and the Uganda Air Force College gathered to reinforce discipline, patriotism, and professional integrity.
Speaking at the closure of the symposium, on behalf of the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Maj Gen Francis Takirwa, the Deputy Commander Land Force, urged the officers to uphold patriotism and financial prudence.
He encouraged them to plan for retirement and emphasized the importance of saving through the Wazalendo Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) rather than reckless spending.
Additionally, he advised them to instil trust within their families as the foundation for stable homes and cautioned them against adopting Western cultural influences.
Maj Gen Henry Matsiko, the Joint Staff Political Commissariat, stressed the importance of maintaining revolutionary methods of work within the force.
Col Robert Ngabirano, the Director of Education, Sports, and Culture in UPDF-AF, urged officers to support army schools, noting that many civilian parents enroll their children in these institutions due to their high academic standards.
Meanwhile, Col Anatoli Nuwagira, the Director Political Commissariat-AF, emphasized the need for a change in mindset and attitude among officers.
He encouraged them to set an example for their subordinates and take advantage of such symposiums to learn from senior officers about the history of the UPDF. He stressed the importance of ideological mentoring within the force.
Present were: the Commandant Uganda Air Force College – Nakasongola, Col James Muhwezi; Brig Gen Allan Kalanzi, senior and junior officers among others.
