A total of 82 officers from the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), including senior and junior officers, have graduated from Makerere University in various disciplines related to defense, security, and medical studies. The graduation ceremony took place during Makerere University’s 74th graduation ceremony, which commenced on January 29 and concluded recently.
Among the graduates are officers who completed the National Defence Course (NDC) and the Past Staff Course (PSC). This ceremony marks a historic occasion for the UPDF, as a significant number of officers received awards from Makerere University for the first time.
The graduating officers include the pioneer group of NDC-U intake one and intake 17 of the year 2021-2022 of Senior Command and Staff College – Kimaka. The degrees obtained cover various fields, including master’s degrees in security strategy (NDC-Uganda holders), master’s degrees in defense and studies (Senior Command and Staff Course – SCSC Kimaka holders), and ordinary diplomas in strategy and warfare from SCSC.
The officers from Uganda Military Academy Kabamba will be awarded degrees in defense studies. These military institutions are affiliated with Makerere University to strengthen the shared vision of building a modern, efficient, and professional force capable of addressing modern criminal challenges, as guided by UPDF’s Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Yoweri Museveni.
Prominent graduates from NDC-U include Brig. Gen. Dr. Stephen Kusasira, the senior directing staff and head of research at the college; Brig. Gen. Daniel Mugumya Kakono, Commander Field Artillery Division based in Masindi; and Brig. Gen. Flavia Byekwaso, former UPDF spokesperson and Chief of Staff at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre in Jinja. The graduation ceremony also included officers from Tanzania and Kenya.
