The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has adopted a new set of strategic priorities aimed at improving efficiency, accountability and implementation of key programmes following the conclusion of a three-day annual defence strategic retreat in Kampala.
The retreat, which brought together the military’s top leadership and civilian officials from the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MoDVA), ended owith the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Kiryowa Kiwanuka presiding over the closing session alongside the Minister of State for Defence, Grace Akifeza Ngabirano, and the Minister of State for Veteran Affairs, Huda Abason Oleru.
The conference was officially opened on Saturday by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, at the Defence Intelligence and Security Headquarters in Mbuya, where he chaired discussions on the first two days focusing on performance reviews and coordination of defence priorities.
Gen. Kainerugaba said the UPDF had made significant progress during the 2025/26 financial year but stressed that more needed to be done to improve efficiency and accelerate the implementation of strategic programmes.
“The overall picture is that we are steadily moving in the right direction, even though we must work a little bit faster,” he said.
The CDF urged military commanders and ministry officials to adopt SMART priorities—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound—to strengthen planning, improve resource utilisation and enhance accountability.
“Priorities that are SMART provide value for money, improve our efficiency, and rigorously audit whatever we set out to do,” he said.
At the conclusion of the retreat, Gen. Kainerugaba presented the consolidated strategic priorities to Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka, marking the beginning of their implementation.
Kiwanuka reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a modern, affordable and sustainable defence force while strengthening strategic partnerships to support national security and socio-economic development.
He also called for greater public awareness of the UPDF’s achievements, arguing that many of the force’s successes receive little public attention.
“So much is being done, but so little is known. It is about time someone started blowing their own trumpet,” the minister said.
Kiwanuka pledged support for the UPDF’s budget priorities and backed efforts to increase public communication about the force’s contribution to national security and national development.
He further commended Gen. Kainerugaba for what he described as rapid progress in transforming the UPDF and encouraged other government ministries, departments and agencies to emulate the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs’ approach to efficient service delivery and prudent use of public resources.
The annual strategic retreat is held to align the ministry’s planning and budget priorities with the country’s national security objectives ahead of the new financial year.
