FROM PPU TO CDF/SPA SOP: BUILDING UGANDA’S FORCE AND REGIONAL COOPERATION By Lt Col (Rtd) Dr. Kato Damiano Abooki, PhD Son of FRONASA, Isunga – Kagadi | Former PPU, PGB, SFG, SFC & Doctrine | NRM Cadre | MP Candidate 2025/2026 Email: damian.kato@iuea.ac.ug | Tel: +256772583829 We must first acknowledge His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni and Mama Janet Museveni who brought General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to earth. As a son of the revolution, and of the FRONASA family of Isunga, Kagadi, I grew up knowing the cost of liberation. We share in the FRONASA struggles that birthed this nation. I had the honor of serving under Gen Muhoozi from PPU, through PGB, SFG, SFC, and in Doctrine. I have also watched him serve as Senior Presidential Adviser for Special Operations and today as Chief of Defence Forces. The story is about building. From PPU to CDF/SPA SOP: Building Uganda’s Force and Regional Cooperation. 1. He Built on a Foundation and Raised the Standard We must acknowledge the giants who served before him. The list is endless. There are those still serving, those retired, and those long gone — from this regime and past regimes. From the bush to the barracks, from FRONASA to NRA to UPDF. We specifically remember the Late Maj Ahammed Seguya, the First NRA Guerrilla Army Commander. We remember the Late Lt Col Akanga, former PPU Commander. We also acknowledge our comrades who went back to Rwanda to build their nation, including Gen Fred Rwigema and Gen Paul Kagame, who fought with us in the bush. And we salute all the other commanders, officers, and men whose names we cannot all mention here, but whose sacrifice built this force. They laid the foundation. They shed blood. They kept the flag flying. Gen Muhoozi took that foundation and raised the standard. From PPU to PGB, SFG, to SFC, he professionalized training, doctrine, equipment, and welfare. What was good, he made better. What was missing, he built. In Doctrine we worked to ensure that the SFC standard became UPDF standard. As SPA SOP and now as CDF, he has taken that template nationwide: modernization, professional military education, and a doctrine fit for today’s threats. He built from the center outward — from protecting the presidency to protecting 45 million Ugandans. 2. He Builds Regional Cooperation: The Soldier-Diplomat A professional force must secure more than its barracks. Gen Muhoozi was central in ending the Uganda-Rwanda standoff. His recent high-level talks with President Paul Kagame focused on bilateral military ties, intelligence sharing, and joint action on regional threats. At the RDF Senior Command and Staff College in Musanze, he told officers that African militaries must collaborate. That is the mindset of a revolutionary who knows our security does not stop at the border. 3. He Leads with the Soldier First What never changed from PPU to CDF is this: the soldier comes first. In SFC we knew he cared about morale, career progression, and fair treatment. That soldier-centric leadership now defines the UPDF under his command as CDF. Conclusion: Building on the Shoulders of Giants From PPU to CDF/SPA SOP, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s contribution has been to build upon the sacrifice of those before him. He honors the past by professionalizing the present. He is building capability at home. He is building doctrine in the force. He is building cooperation in the region. As a cadre who has served in uniform and who stood as MP Candidate in 2025/2026, I know nation building requires both the gun and the pen, both discipline and service. May the souls of Maj Ahammed Seguya, Lt Col Akanga, Gen Fred Rwigema, and all our fallen — from every generation and every nation — rest in peace. The foundation was laid by many. The structure today is the UPDF and a more stable region. The work continues. —
