Uganda-India military ties to get stronger

PIC: Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah (left) chats with Shankar and Kafeero Ssekitoleko during the ITEC day Alumni celebrations at the India House in Kampala. (Credit: Denis Dibele)

RELATIONS | MILITARY

KAMPALA - The military ties between Uganda and India are set to become even closer, going by sentiments raised by top army officials from both countries at a dinner reception.

The event, held at the India House in Kololo, Kampala, was organised for alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Co-operation (ITEC).

At the dinner hosted by Ravi Shankar, the high commissioner of India to Uganda, Brig. Leo Kyanda, the chief of staff of land forces with the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF), hailed military ties between the two countries.

Kyanda went for a course at the National Defence College in India in 2017. As part of the ITEC programme, the Indian military has deployed an advisory team to Uganda for the last two years, based at the senior command and Staff College, Kimaka in Jinja district.

"The Indian military advisory team led by Brig. Praveen Airy is doing a commendable job (in Uganda). In fact, they went a step further by taking the whole of command and staff of Kimaka for a trip in March 2018," Kyanda said.

Brig. Airy, the head of the Indian military advisory and training team in Uganda, said the co-operation with the Ugandan army is only growing stronger.

"We have been able to build the defense co-operation with the UPDF. The senior command and staff college visited a number of military training institutes in India, interacted with our ministry of defence. We exchanged ideas," he said.

"In May, we will have the national defence college of India visiting Uganda, a big step in our relationship. This defence co-operation has taken a huge leap forward, and this bond can only go to greater heights."

The brigadier revealed that two new air-conditioned buses will be donated to Kimaka, in addition to a basketball court.