The National Defence college has graduated 18 UPDF General and senior officers in it’s first cohort of students.
The 18 have spent the last 12 months at the Njeru, Buikwe Based college which is Uganda’s first National Defense College. Among them is former State house Anti corruption unit head Col. Edith Nakalema and former UPDF spokesperson Brig. Flavia Byekwaso
In his remarks, President Museveni said this college is meant to be the epitome of training for senior officers of the UPDF.
“This college (National Defence College) is an apex training center, where we shall be training senior officers mainly from the army and other people.”
The president also revealed plans to construct a university on the site.
The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Vincent Ssempijja Bamulangaki, has on behalf of President Museveni, presented certificates and National Defence College badges to senior UPDF officers graduating today.
The Chief of Defense Forces Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi said the college will help the country save a lot of money which the force has been spending to facilitate its officers for training abroad in countries like South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, the US and the UK among others.
“This course in Kenya costs $69,000 per person per year, in Tanzania we have been paying $55,000 per person per year. Here we have made an estimate, we think we will spend $15,000 on each of these students with an advantage of training many at the same time. This means on training in Kenya, we will be saving $54,000 and $40,000 on training Tanzania,” Mbadi said.
According to the College Commandant Maj General Francis Okello, the college’s two-year academic program has been condensed in 48 weeks (11 months), at the end of which participants will be awarded post graduate diplomas.
The National Defence college
Participants who meet the criteria for joining master’s program at the university, will undertake an academic program leading to the award of degree of master of security strategy of Makerere University.
The Institution currently runs two programs including the Post Graduate Diploma in National Security Studies and a Masters in Security Strategy taught by Makerere University.
The college is the first of its kind in Uganda and is anticipated to attract senior officers up to the level of a one-star general, senior officers at the rank of Colonel and also civilians in future.
The course covers areas of policy formulation and analysis, strategic leadership, strategic planning and management, political economy, national and regional security studies, international relations, peace and security studies and defense resource management among others.
