UPDF officers complete commanders and legal advisers course

A total of 22 Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) officers have completed a two-week Commanders and Legal Advisers Course.

The course was conducted at the Legal Training Centre (LTC) in Gaddafi Barracks, Jinja City.

Participants were drawn from various UPDF units and formations across the country, including mainly commanders and legal officers tasked with strengthening military justice and command effectiveness within their respective units.

The Deputy Director of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Colonel Kamanda Mutungi, spoke at the ceremony. He described the training as vital to military command.

He urged the officers to share the knowledge they had acquired with their subordinates and colleagues who had not had the opportunity to attend.

“You are leaders of the armed forces, and I implore you to share this valuable information with your subordinates who did not get an opportunity to attend. UPDF is counting on you as a resource to enhance command,” said Col Mutungi.

He noted that the effectiveness of the UPDF as an institution depends on each officer playing their role responsibly, especially in the administration of justice and the maintenance of the Force’s legitimacy and reputation.

The Commandant of the Legal Training Centre, Major Lydia Katisi, commended the participants for their dedication and intellectual commitment throughout the training, noting that they were leaving the centre better equipped with legal knowledge and a deeper understanding of military justice.

The senior course representative, Colonel David Kararira, described the training as productive and relevant to commanders in the field.

“This has been a productive course for us as commanders. We have learnt how to administer military justice and how it works.

“It is my prayer that LTC continues to conduct such courses so that other commanders who did not get the opportunity can also acquire this knowledge,” he said.