UPDF Leadership

President Yoweri Museveni is a Ugandan politician and military leader who has been in power since 1986. He was born on September 15, 1944, in Ntungamo, southwestern Uganda.

Museveni came to power after a five-year guerrilla war in which he led the National Resistance Army (NRA) against the government of Milton Obote. Since then, he has been reelected in a series of contested elections, with the most recent being in January 2021.

Under Museveni’s leadership, Uganda has experienced economic growth and development, with poverty rates decreasing and access to education and healthcare improving. He has implemented policies aimed at promoting agriculture, infrastructure development, and foreign investment.

Museveni has also been praised for his efforts to bring peace and stability to Uganda, ending decades of civil war and insurgency in the northern part of the country.

Furthermore, he has played a key role in regional politics, particularly in the East African Community, promoting integration and cooperation among African nations. He has been a vocal advocate for African unity and self-sufficiency, and has championed the cause of African development and progress on the international stage.

In addition, President Museveni has been recognized for his leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda, with the country being hailed as a model for other nations in terms of its comprehensive approach to prevention, treatment, and care.

Kayanja Muhanga, who was born around 1964 in Fort Portal, Kabarole District, Western Uganda, is an army officer in Uganda. He currently holds the position of Commander of Land Forces in the UPDF, appointed in October 2022 by the President of Uganda and Commander in Chief of the UPDF, Yoweri Museveni. Previously, he served as the commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Force contingent in Eastern DRC under the operation code named Operation Shujja, a position he was appointed to in January 2021 by General Yoweri Museveni.

Maj. General Muhanga previously held the position of Commandant of the Military Police within the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). He has a sister named Margaret Muhanga, who is a staffer in the Office of the President of Uganda, and an older brother, journalist Andrew Mwenda, who is the publisher and editor of The Independent (Uganda) newsmagazine. Their father is Mzee Phillip Muhanga of Fort Portal.

Military

In 1988, he attended the Cadet Officers Course at the Uganda Military Academy, which was then located at Quaddafi Barracks in Jinja, Eastern Uganda. Later, the school was relocated to Kabamba in Mubende District. He joined the NRA as a Private and served in that rank until the NRA took power in 1986. Initially, he served in the military police unit based in Kasese and later in the Presidential Protection Unit as a Private from 1986 to 1988.

After completing the Junior Cadet Officer Course, he served in the office of the Chief of Combat Operations as a Second Lieutenant. In 1990, he was transferred to the Directorate of Military Intelligence, where he served until 1993. Then, from 1993 to 1997, he served as the Intelligence Officer, attached to the UPDF barracks in Mubende.

Later, he was assigned to the Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce at the rank of Captain. He was promoted to Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel, respectively. In Somalia, he commanded Uganda’s “Battle Group Eight” and concurrently served as the Deputy Commander for the Ugandan contingent in Somalia.

After his duty in Somalia, he served as the Chief of Military Police in the UPDF until January 2014. In January 2014, he was appointed as the Commander of UPDF Operations in South Sudan with the rank of Colonel. A month later, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier.

Major General Charles Okidi is a high-ranking military officer in the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), currently serving as the Chief of Staff of the UPDF Air Force, a position he assumed on December 11, 2019. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Director of Operations at the UPDF Air Force Headquarters in Entebbe.

Military

Okidi is a distinguished Ugandan military officer, serving as the Chief of Staff of the UPDF Air Force since 11 December 2019. In addition to his military duties, he is a long-term presidential pilot. He has held several leadership positions in the Air Force, including Air Force Wing Commander at Nakasongola Air Force Base, Commander of the Air Force Wing at Entebbe Air Force Base, and Squadron Commander and Officer Commanding Operations at Entebbe Air Force Wing.

Okidi took over as Chief of Staff of the UPDF Air Force from Major General Paul Lokech, who was reassigned to special duties in South Sudan. In recognition of his outstanding service, Okidi was promoted from Brigadier to Major General on 28 March 2020.