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Chief of Defense Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has tasked the top military commanders recently deployed at different levels of leadership in the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) to aim for excellence.

"This is important so that those who come after you will appreciate the great work done and the legacy to uphold," he said on Thursday while addressing several military service chiefs and commanders as well as officials of the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs.

Gen Kainerugaba, flanked by the commanders was presiding over the change of guard at two top offices.

The newly appointed Deputy Chief of Defense Forces Lt Gen Sam Okiding has taken over office from Lt Gen Peter Elwelu.

At the same event, Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda also handed over office to Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba the new  Chief of Joint Staff under the new UPDF establishment 2021. In the reshuffle announced last month, Kyanda was appointed Defence attaché at a mission yet to be named.

During the events at the UPDF general headquarters in Mbuya city suburbs in Kampala, the CDF also paid tribute to former UPDF leaders for their contributions, noting that UPDF top offices have been occupied by great Generals.

A release from the CDF's office states that Gen Kainerugaba who is also the senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations thanked the outgoing team for the work done and welcomed the new generals to their offices.

Gen Kainerugaba, flanked by the commanders presided over the change of guard at two top offices.

Commenting on the changes, the CDF noted that these offices belong to the UPDF and that nobody is expected to keep them forever, noting the new team would also at one time, hand over to new teams.  The CDF also paid tribute to former UPDF leaders for their contributions, noting that UPDF top offices have been occupied by great Generals.

In the recent reshuffle within the UPDF top ranks where   Gen  Elwelu was named as one of the Presidential Senior Advisors, President Yoweri   Museveni who is also the Commander in Chief also promoted the commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC), Brig Gen David Mugisha to Major General. Commando Brigade commander, Asaph Nyakyikuru was also promoted from Colonel to the rank of Brigadier General.
Meanwhile, the UPDF  early this week changed the titles of its chiefs.

The changes are occasioned by the official launch of the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) Establishment 2021.

In the April 8th statement,   Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, Defence Public Information Officer (DPIO) said that the adoption and use of new titles follow the degazetting of the old and gazetting of the new offices as per the UPDF Establishment 2021.

The newly appointed Deputy Chief of Defense Forces Lt Gen Sam Okiding has taken over office from Lt Gen Peter Elwelu.

New titles at a glance:  

• Chief of Joint Staff (CJS) formerly Joint Chief of Staff (JCOS) 

• Gun Joint Staff Human Resource Management (JS-HRM) formerly Chief of Personnel and Administration (CPA) 

• Gun Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) formerly Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) 

• Gun Joint Staff Logistics (JS-LOG) formerly Chief of Logistics and Engineering (CLE) 

• Gun Joint Staff Training and Doctrine (JS-TRADOC) formerly Chief of Training and Recruitment (CTR) 

• Gun Defence Public Information Officer (DPIO) formerly Defence Spokesperson (DSP) under the Department of Defence