President Yoweri Museveni, the Commander-In-Chief of the armed services has commissioned the new SFC command and control facilities with a call on leaders to guide Ugandans to solve the problems of Ugandans.
The newly constructed Special Forces Command (SFC) Operations Command Control and Coordination Centre are located at the SFC headquarters in Entebbe.
President Museveni thanked the UPDF leadership for professionalizing and improving the standards of living of the men and women in uniform by engaging in various development initiatives on top of protecting the sovereign state of Uganda.
Museveni said that government will continue to improve the welfare of soldiers, their families by offering free education, healthcare as well as free accommodation.
Museveni supported the idea to empower the spouses of soldiers by setting up various economic ventures such as poultry farming on the available barracks land. This, he said, will help them to supplement their incomes.
The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Oboth Oboth informed the President that the new facility is more than a structure, describing it as a cornerstone of the army’s strategic capabilities and a statement to their commitment to security, coordination and excellence.
“This facility symbolises our readiness to face the modern defence challenges and our determination to adopt the ever evolving security landscape,” he stated.
The commander-Land Forces, Lt Gen. Kayanja Muhanga who represented the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, thanked the President for his continued efforts in professionalizing UPDF from a small army of 27 armed men to a large force.
“Thank you for your continued efforts of professionalising UPDF. It has been a journey for us who have been around for some time. We are serious witnesses in this journey; from how we started eating posho and cassava to a force now that is admirable by our neighbours,” he said.
He also thanked the army leadership for implementing the President’s vision of transforming UPDF into the formidable force it is today and accomplishing projects using limited resources.
The SFC Commander, Maj. Gen. David Mugisha thanked the President for sparing his time to grace the occasion. He said that his presence is a testament of his commitment and unwavering resolve to support the efforts towards ensuring the general security of Uganda.
He said that the Hi-Tech equipment in the command centre shall focus on realising point number two of the NRM Ten point program which focuses on the security of Uganda.
He said the command centre will go a long way in solving complex security challenges such as cyber security threats, terrorism as well as rapid technological advancements that continue to take centre stage.
The design and construction of the facility was fully undertaken by the SFC civil engineers’ regiment. It has planning offices, CCTV camera monitoring and equipped with a geo-mapping room and gym, among other services.
The structure was named after Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho alias Salim Saleh in recognition of his exceptional leadership, patriotism, and Pan Africanism spirit that invokes the spirit of the revolutionary journey.
Gen. Saleh commanded the fierce fighting including the attack on Kabamba, the battle of Kembogo, Bukalabi and the capture of Simba hills, Mubende and Masindi, among others.
