KAMPALA – Gen. David Muhoozi the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) has Monday launched the Uganda National Defence College (NDC) steering committee at army headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala.
Speaking at the launch, Gen Muhoozi said the institute will be used to prepare civilians, military, national security professionals and future leaders to understand the broader strategic security environment and manage the complexities at a strategic level.
“NDC will be a premier institute of excellence on defence, security, and national development and will provide strategic leadership to the government on national and international security matters,” he said adding that UPDF has made many strides in training but “we have been missing a flagship institution that provides professional joint military education at Strategic level.”
He also challenged the committee to craft an NDC that is awake with Uganda’s context and environment in order to achieve country’s desired end state.
Most of UPDF senior officers have been getting the experience from foreign countries including Kenya, United Kingdom, and China among others, now with the NDC to be constructed in Jinja, the CDF is opportunistic that it will offer an opportunity to realize the linkage between strategic and operational level learning.
“Such strategic level of education would also help security planners to formulate policies and understand the security complexes including those that arise from international behaviors of other states and players in order to determine the appropriate responses.”
He said within the security domain, UPDF has to lend a hand to police when dealing with diplomacy, public order management and media issues. “UPDF and civilian leaders need to craft responses that are effective, credible and promote a Nations Security.”
The Deputy CDF Lt Gen Wilson Badi said that with the launching of the steering committee, it should effectively start working out the initial phase of construction, drafting a college curriculum.
Lt Gen Badi told the committee to take on a benchmarking trip to an already established NDC with a view of acquainting themselves with how the college can be run.
Maj Gen Lakara said a work plan to guide the subsequent committee meetings will be drafted to guide them in steering their work as subcommittees are already functioning.
The launch was also attended by the Commander Land Force (CLF) Maj Gen Peter Elwelu, the Joint Chief of Staff (JCOS) Maj Gen Joseph Musanyufu, Ms. Lydia Wanyoto a member of the committee and other senior UPDF officers.
