American general delivers lecture on leadership to UPDF senior officers

KAMPALA - United States Army’s Lt. Gen. Michael Thomas Flynn has delivered a lecture on leadership to senior officers of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces held at Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo in Kampala.

The lecture on Monday (March 16 ) brought together commandants from the National Defence College – Uganda, the Senior Command and Staff College Kimaka, directing staff, and members of the Joint Staff Headquarters of the UPDF.

This is one of the several engagements by retired Lt. Gen Flynn, who is in Uganda on the invitation of the Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

In his lecture,  Lt Gen Flynn emphasised that effective leadership goes beyond authority and rank, noting that true leadership is grounded in character, courage, strategic vision, and the ability to inspire others toward a common purpose.

The Commandant of the National Defence College–Uganda, Alex Olupot, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked Lt Gen Flynn for sharing insights drawn from his distinguished military career in the United States Armed Forces.

“These lessons resonate deeply with us as officers entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding our nation and also contributing to regional and international peace and stability,” Brig Gen Olupot said, according to a release from the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA).

Senior UPDF officers attending U.S Army Lt. Gen. Michael Thomas Flynn's lecture on leadership at Speke Resort Hotel Munyonyo in Kampala on March 16, 2026.

Olupot noted that the lessons shared were particularly relevant to officers tasked with safeguarding national security while contributing to regional and international peace and stability.

He added that the lecture reinforced key values such as patriotism, Pan-Africanism, and International cooperation, which remain central to the ideological outlook of UPDF Officers.

Lt Gen Flynn’s military career spans more than three decades, during which he held senior intelligence and command positions in the United States Army, including serving as Director of the Defence Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014.

He later served as National Security Adviser under U.S. President Donald Trump.

Lt. Gen Flynn, a military veteran and scholar, is an expert in Diplomacy, Statecraft, Foreign Policy, Strategy Formulation, Defence, Intelligence, and other areas of national and international security.

He served more than 33 years in the U.S Army, Joint, and Special Operations Forces, with multiple overseas combat tours.