Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma has officially taken on the role of force commander of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Kavuma, formerly the commander of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), replaces Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, who has been appointed Deputy Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).
Kavuma’s new position follows his appointment in March by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF. On his arrival in Mogadishu on July 28, 2024, Kavuma was greeted with a guard of honour by UPDF troops stationed at the ATMIS headquarters.
During his first days in office, Kavuma received a briefing from key staff officers, including Maj. Gen. Peter Muteti, the deputy force commander responsible for support and logistics. This briefing was part of his transition into the role as ATMIS prepares for a phased reduction and shift to a new mission aimed at stabilizing Somalia.
In his initial statement, Kavuma expressed his commitment to leading the military components of ATMIS and thanked all troop-contributing countries for their efforts since the mission’s start in 2007. He acknowledged the liberation of many towns in Somalia and emphasized the need for ongoing collaboration to defeat al-Shabaab, foster peace, and support Somali development.
Kavuma has a history of involvement in the mission. He served as sector one commander from 2014 to 2015, during which he played a role in liberating towns in the Lower Shebelle region. His previous roles include deputy commander of the UPDF Air Force and deputy chief coordinator of OWC in Uganda.
The handover ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including ATMIS Military Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Kindu Gezu, ATMIS Sector One Commander Brig. Gen. Anthony Lukwago Mbuusi, and other senior and staff officers.
Since its inception, Uganda has been a major contributor to ATMIS, providing several commanders and deploying over 40 battle groups to the mission. Uganda was the first country to deploy troops to Somalia in March 2007.
