President Museveni stresses importance of education in military training

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), has explained the importance of education in the military during a recent event. He noted that educated individuals can excel as soldiers and cadres, drawing a parallel with the success of the Israeli army.

President Museveni acknowledged that educated people possess the capacity for quick learning and technological proficiency, which are valuable assets in modern warfare.

The President made the remarks while presiding over the passing out ceremony of 9,690 Local Defence Personnel (LDP) from various training schools, including Kaweweta Recruit Training School, Labwordwong Training School, and Olilim Training School.

“When you hear that some armies do well like the Israeli army, it is because they are Educated people. In the 1960s, when they were fighting with the people they were fighting with, you would get Educated people fighting with peasants from other countries and they could not manage because of technology, and quick learning. The only problem is that sometimes the Educated become proud and look down upon manual work but otherwise Educated people can make good soldiers and very good cadres in different areas,” the President said.

President Museveni was pleased to note that a significant portion of the recruits had attained advanced levels of education. Among the graduates, 5,000 possessed A’ Level Certificates of Education or higher, with five individuals holding master’s degrees and 700 having bachelor’s degrees. The President commended the recruits’ educational background, highlighting that educated individuals possess the ability to plan effectively and adapt easily to the demands of modern warfare.

“With this level of Education, it is easy to learn because modern warfare has a lot of science and Educated people plan very easily. The people they were giving prizes here, are all Educated. One of the girls who got a prize here has got a degree in civil engineering and the other girls are midwives, you know how careful midwives are. If a midwife shoots you, you will not come back,” he stated.

“I’m therefore very happy, this is very good for the army and for the country. Out of all these recruits, only 37 stopped at Primary Seven level,” he added.

Addressing concerns about recent security incidents, including attacks on UPDF soldiers in Somalia and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attack in Kasese, President Museveni reassured the public that Uganda remains safe and secure. He acknowledged the mistakes made in Somalia and Kasese and assured that the country’s security forces are actively working to address any gaps in intelligence and security.

“When we get a few mistakes like what happened in Somalia and Kasese, those who don’t know war start running around, panicking but I can tell you that the security of Uganda is very secure. There were some mistakes in Somalia, and I was talking to commanders here about them. In Kasese, that part of the country has been peaceful for a long time and the people there were quite relaxed although there are still some gaps in intelligence, all these are easily solvable. Anybody who disturbs us will pay a very big price,” the President asserted.

Additionally, President Museveni expressed his concern regarding the lack of drainage channels on the Katugo marram road in Nakaseke. He urged the responsible parties to promptly address the issue, cautioning that he would personally intervene if the matter remained unresolved.

The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, expressed gratitude to President Museveni for his guidance and commitment to building a modern, professional, and effective UPDF capable of safeguarding Uganda.

“We therefore thank Your Excellency for your usual guidance and for building a formidable force and today we have taken all your observations during the demonstrations, especially on the basics of training. We are going to continue to review our curriculum for basic training in order to enhance soldiers’ capacity to identify and use cover, marksmanship and team spirit so that they can improve continuously,” Gen. Mbadi said.

“Your Excellency, despite our constrained budget, we will continue to enhance UPDF’s capabilities, capacity building, logistics support, welfare and infrastructure development without forgetting all other collective solutions for solving our force’s welfare issues like Education, medical, Defence Forces shop, WASACCO and others.”

Brig. Gen. Bonny Wolimbwa, the Commandant of the training school, acknowledged the support provided by the Ministry of Defence, the Army Leadership, and other stakeholders in ensuring the successful completion of the recruits’ training.

“Allow me to thank the Ministry of Defence and the Army Leadership and all other stakeholders for the support that they have provided that has enabled us to reach this day successfully,” Brig Gen Wolimbwa added.

“To you, the recruits, this is your day. You have already proved from your demonstrations that you have acquired enough skills that will enable you to go and perform in your respective units. I urge you as you leave this place to go and be good Ambassadors, work as a team; that’s when you will conquer,” he added.

During the event, outstanding students were recognized for their exceptional performance. Wampagana Moses Wasike emerged as the best overall student, with Chelangat Bashir and Agabirwe Natasha being awarded for their excellence in the field.

Kongai Rachel received recognition as the best student in leadership, while Nechemet Annet and Chebet Mercy Faith were acknowledged as the best student in range and the most disciplined student, respectively.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including ministers, members of parliament, and top UPDF leadership, demonstrating the significance of the occasion.