Oliver Reginald Tambo Leadership School Lauded For Shaping UPDF’s Ideological Foundation

The Oliver Reginald Tambo Leadership School and Pan African Centre of Excellence (ORTLS-PACEX) has been praised for its vital role in providing ideological education that underpins the ideological foundation of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).

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Brigadier General Godwin Karugaba, Joint Staff Logistics, offered this commendation on behalf of the Chief of Defence Forces during the graduation ceremony of 194 officers who completed the Post-Cadet Ideological Orientation Course at the ORTLS-PACEX in Kaweweta, Nakaseke District.

Brig Gen Karugaba acknowledged the officers’ dedication and commitment, emphasising the significance of their successful completion of the course. “You should always strive to be professional officers who are ideologically clear and politically conscious,” he urged the graduates.

He stressed the importance of maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and excellence while actively combating corruption throughout their careers.

Brig Gen Michael Kibuye, Director of Civil-Military Cooperation, who represented the Joint Staff Political Commissariat, encouraged personnel to recognise the distinction between the people and the enemy during deployment. “You need the people,” he said. He further emphasised that the UPDF’s strength is replenished by the people through recruitment, ensuring the army’s continuity.

Col Swizen Steve Mulindwa, representing the Joint Staff Training and Doctrine, expressed confidence that the course had achieved its objectives, asserting that its impact would align with the UPDF’s core values of loyalty, teamwork, and discipline.

He added that the graduates had been called to a noble cause in defending Uganda’s territorial integrity and national unity.

The Commandant of the School, Col Justus Rukundo, advised the officers that the course was only an initial ideological “dose” in their careers.

He encouraged them to pursue further knowledge to deepen their ideological awareness. Col Rukundo highlighted that ideological orientation is an ongoing process, akin to vaccinations that require continuous reinforcement.

The course, which included 26 females, 168 males, and one civilian, was designed to cultivate a mindset that would empower newly commissioned junior officers and cadres to actively contribute to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.

The event was attended by both senior and junior officers of the UPDF.