Uganda Media Centre

A total of 57 Police Presidential Guard officers have undergone an induction course.

The officers who completed the Tier II induction course on Tuesday 22nd October, 2024, were passed out at Fort Samora Machel Special Training School in Waza, Kaweweta, Nakaseke District.

The Chief of Staff-Special Forces Command (SFC), Brig Gen. Paul Namawa congratulated the officers upon completing the induction course.

“On your part, it's a culmination of your hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment to excellence. We honour you, the graduates of the special unit tactics course. You now stand before us here not only as Police Presidential Guard's men and women but now as elite warriors who have embraced the rigorous training and challenges that define our special forces,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Namawa also thanked President Museveni for his visionary leadership that led to the formation of the Police Presidential Guard unit.

“First and foremost we appreciate the strategic guidance by the Commander-In-Chief, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda and the fountain of honour who is the vision bearer, he gave the guidance of creating what we are witnessing today. I would like to thank the Chief of the Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for his continuous guidance through the capacity building journey of our security forces. I also take this honour to thank the leadership of the Uganda Police Force for selecting, mentoring and guiding you the graduates through basic training. We also thank the UPF for the continued sustainment of the Police Presidential Guards since inception dating many years back.”

He said the special units tactics course is not merely an academic endeavour, it's a course that sets the limit for physical endurance, mental resilience and tactical acumen.

“Over the past weeks you have learned your skills in small unit Operations, learning to think critically under pressure to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and to work cohesively as a team. These are skills required of any armed personnel preparing to undertake Very Important Person's Protection tasks under a contemporary threatening environment.”

On his part, the Director Human Resource Development and Training of the Uganda Police Force, AIGP Kafeero Moses congratulated the trainees upon finishing this course.

"I must thank the commandant of this school and the instructors. Like I said, I have been an instructor for many years. Training and getting your products perform such excellent tasks and demonstrations is proof that the commandant and his team have done very great work. As earlier said, keep up these good skills in the field and again keep growing in your career and whenever you are given an opportunity to do any other course, take it in good faith. Attitude towards training is very important," AIGP kafeero noted.

“I know you did the earlier police course and now you have gone on to advance at this course, therefore, this is a great opportunity that you are picked to add on your skills and therefore in your career, whenever your bosses pick up on you to do another course, again have that great attitude. Training is about attitude, and once you have a great attitude, you'll finish on the same high note you started with.”

The Commandant of Oliver Reginald Tambo School of Leadership School, Col. Justus Rukundo gave a brief talk to the graduates on the importance of ideological development. He quoted H.E Thomas Sankara, the former President of Burkina Faso as saying: “A soldier without political training is a potential criminal.”

Col. Rukundo said the fundamental problem of development in Uganda is backwardness and underdevelopment. He said fighting backwardness can be achieved by grasping the four principles that the government put forward: Patriotism, Pan Africanism, socio-economic transformation and democracy.

The Director of Training and Doctrine- SFC, Lt Col. Paul Micki Lokut said the special unit tactics course would go a long way in helping the trainees in being combat ready, able to undertake any challenge.

He asked the trainees to thank themselves for taking themselves quite far by doing this course. He said today's demonstrations by members of the PPG were quite impressive.

He also extended appreciation to the commander of SFC for all the support that was rendered to training.

The Commandant of Fort Samora Machel Special Force Training School, Maj. Aloysious Nsobya applauded the trainees for their resilience. He thanked the UPDF, SFC and Uganda Police Force leadership for supporting this noble cause of training the PPG officers.

He implored the trainees to go and serve the country and always be available for their respective duties.